Raining on the Moon - Misplaced Pages

Raining on the Moon is an album by American jazz bassist and composer William Parker's Quartet featuring vocalist Leena Conquest, which was recorded in 2001 and released on the Thirsty Ear label. Since the original album, the name has also come to identify the group from this record, including, on all subsequent releases to date, pianist Eri Yamamoto.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Pitchfork Media	8.4/10
The Penguin Guide to Jazz

In her review for AllMusic, Paula Edelstein states "Parker's basslines exchange and transform the compositions into textured applications of free jazz, loaded with unfamiliar improvisations and shifting between crisp and blunt and through blues, bop, and free" Pitchfork's review noted "The album generally sticks with a strident, determined tone, with echoes of 60s and 70s protest music-- Conquest often evokes the spirit of, say, Abbey Lincoln on Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite-- yet the lyrics don't signify opposition so much as they dream of alternatives: a better world, more justice, watermelons that grow on trees... These are wild visions, but they sure seem real, and even attainable, when Conquest sings of them". The Penguin Guide to Jazz observed "There is something refreshingly sanguine and upbeat about all the music on this record".

The All About Jazz review noted "What marks Raining on the Moon as unique in Parker's long list of recordings is its raw accessibility. Listeners from various backgrounds will find this disc inviting and exciting. And if that serves the purpose of introducing Parker's vision to new ears, it's more than done its job". PopMatters enthused "With Raining on the Moon, Parker gives evidence to back up his large stature in creative music, showing himself to be a modern day Charles Mingus. Here, he proves once and for all that any divisions between mainstream jazz and its more avant garde brethren need only be drawn in the minds of myopic listeners".

Track listing

All compositions by William Parker

"Hunk Pappa Blues" – 6:57
"Song of Hope" – 6:33
"Old Tears" – 5:32
"Raining on the Moon" – 14:09
"Music Song" – 3:37
"The Watermelon Song" – 2:28
"James Baldwin to the Rescue" – 8:01
"Donso Ngoni" – 1:24

Personnel

William Parker – bass
Leena Conquest – vocals
Lewis Barnes – trumpet
Rob Brown – alto saxophone, flute
Hamid Drake – drums

Discography

Since the release of this album, credited to "William Parker Quartet featuring Leena Conquest," several albums have been released with the Quartet and Leena Conquest, as well as pianist Eri Yamamoto. These albums are credited to "William Parker / Raining on the Moon" or "William Parker & Raining on the Moon"

Corn Meal Dance (recorded 2007)
Great Spirit (recorded 2007/2012)
"Friday Afternoon" (recorded 2012), disk 7 of Wood Flute Songs: Anthology/Live 2006–2012

References

Lopez, R., William Parker sessionography, accessed May 27, 2014
Thirsty Ear catalog, accessed May 27, 2014
"WILLIAM PARKER – Great Spirit". www.aumfidelity.com. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
"WILLIAM PARKER – CORN MEAL DANCE". www.aumfidelity.com. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
"WILLIAM PARKER – Wood Flute Songs: Anthology/Live 2006–2012 Box Set". www.aumfidelity.com. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
^ Edelstein, Paula. William Parker – Raining on the Moon: Review at AllMusic. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
^ Dahlen, C., Pitchfork Review, August 20, 2002
^ Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (8th ed.). London: Penguin. pp. 1031. ISBN 0141023279.
AAJ Staff, All About Jazz Review, May 20, 2002
Kenyon, J., PopMatters Review, September 19, 2002

v t e William Parker
Years given are for the recording(s), not first release, unless stated otherwise.
Studio albums	Through Acceptance of the Mystery Peace (1974-1979) Compassion Seizes Bed-Stuy (1995) Painter's Spring (2000) O'Neal's Porch (2000) Piercing the Veil (with Hamid Drake, 2000) Raining on the Moon (2001) Bob's Pink Cadillac (2001) Scrapbook (2002) Luc's Lantern (2004) Summer Snow (with Hamid Drake, 2005) Alphaville Suite (2007) Corn Meal Dance (2007) Petit Oiseau (2007) Beyond Quantum (with Anthony Braxton and Milford Graves, 2008) Uncle Joe's Spirit House (2010) Out of This World's Distortions (with Gerald Cleaver and Craig Taborn, 2010) The Gowanus Session (with Thollem McDonas and Nels Cline, 2012) 2 Blues for Cecil (with Andrew Cyrille and Enrico Rava, 2021)
Live albums	Melodic Art–Tet (with Charles Brackeen, Ahmed Abdullah, and Roger Blank, 1974) In Order to Survive (1993) Harras (with Derek Bailey and John Zorn, 1993) Sunrise in the Tone World (1995) The Peach Orchard (1997 & 1998) Posium Pendasem (1998) Mass for the Healing of the World (1998) 2 Days in April (with Fred Anderson, 1999) Mayor of Punkville (1999) Fractured Dimensions (1999) Raincoat in the River (2001) Eloping with the Sun (with Joe Morris and Hamid Drake, 2001) I Plan to Stay a Believer (2001, 2002, 2007, & 2008) Spontaneous (2002) Historic Music Past Tense Future (with Peter Brötzmann and Milford Graves, 2002) Sound Unity (2004) Requiem (2004) For Percy Heath (2005) Wood Flute Songs (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, & 2012) Double Sunrise Over Neptune (2007) Farmers by Nature (with Gerald Cleaver and Craig Taborn, 2008) Tribute to Albert Ayler Live at the Dynamo (with Roy Campbell Jr., Joe McPhee, and Warren Smith, 2008) Winter Sun Crying (2009) Medicine Buddha (with Billy Bang, 2009) Love and Ghosts (with Gerald Cleaver and Craig Taborn, 2011) Essence of Ellington (2012)
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