Basra is the debut album by drummer Pete La Roca, recorded in 1965 and released on the Blue Note label.[2]
Background and recording
Bassist Steve Swallow recounted that he and La Roca had taken LSD prior to traveling to recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder's New Jersey studio for the session.[3] He also said that Van Gelder threatened to end the session after pianist Steve Kuhn started manually plucking the piano strings.[3]
Reception
The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow stated: "It is strange to realize that drummer Pete La Roca only led two albums during the prime years of his career, for this CD reissue of his initial date is a classic".[4]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [4] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [5] |
| Down Beat |  [6] |
Track listing
All compositions by Pete La Roca except as noted
- "Malagueña" (Ernesto Lecuona) - 9:01
- "Candu" - 6:45
- "Tears Come from Heaven" - 5:00
- "Basra" - 9:58
- "Lazy Afternoon" (John La Touche, Jerome Moross) - 5:31
- "Eiderdown" (Steve Swallow) - 4:28
Personnel
- Pete La Roca - drums
- Joe Henderson - tenor saxophone
- Steve Kuhn - piano
- Steve Swallow - bass
References
- ^ Billboard Oct 2, 1965
- ^ Blue Note Records discography accessed November 23, 2010
- ^ a b Iverson, Ethan (April 7, 2021). "Chronology: Steve Swallow Remembers Pete La Roca". JazzTimes. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
- ^ a b Yanow, S. Allmusic Review accessed November 23, 2010
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1302. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^ Down Beat: December 30, 1965 vol. 32, no. 27
