Dorothy Ashby - The Rubaiyat Of Dorothy Ashby download free

This album was inspired by the words of ancient middle-eastern philosopher Omar Khayyam, but the beginning of the opening track apart, there isn't that much in the grooves that is influenced by that culture. Instead the rhythms span from swing to African styles with straight beats inbetween, sometimes sprinkled with Dorothy's intoned profundities. A real potpourri, not all of it works, such as the over-ambitious "Shadow Shapes" that sounds like a reject from a Cole Porter musical (one can even imagine Gene Kelly hoofing away in the instrumental breaks), and on "Joyful Grass and Grape", Dot whacks away on a koto for far too long solo before a sluggish so-so beat finally arrives. She actually sings on several tracks which may surprise some, but I think it's a shame it didn't happen more often, as she has a clear and radiant alto delivery. As such the best tracks for me are the sad but beautiful ballads "Drink", "Dust" and "Heaven & Hell", wherein Dorothy opines the fleetingness of life, made more poignant by the fact that she had already passed away some 20 years before I got to hear them.