Wilber Morris, incredible bassist, incredible composer. “Collective Improvisations,” his first album as a leader, was recorded in 1981 in New York. This album features Dennis Charles on drums (who’s also on “Wilber Force”) and Charles Tyler, another great saxophonist. “Collective Improvisations” starts off with the song above, “Two Fives for a Dime,” which launches with a little riff doubled by the bass and the sax, and then slides into a serious disquisition. Morris and Tyler are in conversation the whole time, with Charles swinging in the background. Morris mostly stays with the main theme and Tyler roams, he shifts in an out of phase with Morris, and the moments when they come together and sync up are magical and satisfying, like a final rhyme falling into place in a poem.
“Collective Improvisations” includes two other Morris compositions among its five tracks: “Randy Son” (which Morris would revisit as “Randy” on “Wilber Force”) and “BLU-WE,” along with performances of “H.M. Louis,” by Bobby Bradford, and “Flamingo,” by Ted Grouya. Like “Wilber Force,” it’s a great album: Morris’s compositions on both albums feel alive and breathe so easy. Plus you’ve got insanely talented players on both albums, with Morris and Charles on both, and David Murray on one and Charles Tyler on the other, all of them all-stars.
Like with “Wilber Force,” the best place to get “Collective Improvisations” is probably on Discogs.