In 2001, the William Parker Quartet – one of the great jazz groups in the music's history – was introduced to the world-at-large via their debut release, O’Neal’s Porch. This album went on to be chosen among the Top 10 Best Jazz Albums of the Year by the New York Times, Jazz Times, Downbeat and All About Jazz.
Sound Unity is the second impeccable album from this extraordinary group. Comprised of six all new Parker-penned compositions and recorded live to multi-track in Vancouver and Montreal on the group’s Summer 2004 Canadian festival tour. Infectious grooves, luminescent melodies and astonishing interplay are to the fore!
#1 Top Jazz Albums of 2005 : Village Voice
"Riveting, nimble and innately listenable, the quartet never falters." –Jeff McCord, DownBeat
"Considering bassist–composer–bandleader William Parker’s multifarious talents, it is in the most traditional of lineups — the stripped-down, piano-less quartet — that his true genius manifests itself. With a penchant for catchy, swinging, post-bop melodies enlivened with exploratory free jazz excursions, Parker’s quartet is the most consistently rewarding of his many projects, having developed a repartee that is nothing short of stunning. Recorded live on tour, Sound Unity — the much anticipated follow up to O'Neal's Porch — exemplifies the art of jazz improvisation at its most telepathic level, from a group that will easily go down in the history books as revered as Miles Davis’ second quintet or John Coltrane’s classic quartet." –Troy Collins, One Final Note
"When will the world recognize that William Parker is a genius? No composer in jazz gets closer to the pumping heart of the music's lifeblood. No bandleader and organizer is more selfless in the service of the collective self-expression. Few instrumentalists are as versatile, or improvisors as generous. Parker has performed on more than two hundred records, and this latest, with his outrageously tight working quartet, is simply one of his best." –Doug Schulkind, WFMU
"These four create palpable magic from the bubbling cauldron of empathic ensemble playing and daring solo work backed by masterful technical skill. This generous live recording catches one of the premier bands working today inspired and inspiring, making the sacred accessible." –Rex Butters, All About Jazz
"Irresistable and nourishing .. this is extroverted, vibrant front porch music of the highest order." –Larry Cosentino, Signal To Noise
Editors' Picks : Best of 2005 - "What stands out on Sound Unity is the almost telepathic interaction and bubbling conversation between the four musicians." –Amazon
An excerpt from the liner notes by William Parker:
All people in the world need the beauty of truth to survive. Over the last 600 years we have acquired tons of knowledge and information about everything under the sun, yet we are a stone’s throw away from destroying the world in which we live. All information that is acquired in life must transform into wisdom; then into compassion. Without compassion science will never succeed.
