LARRY NOZERO - Time

180 Proof Records & BBE Music continue to bring new life to the Strata catalogue, this time
with the short-lived label's swan song: Larry Nozero’s 1975 passion project, Time.
The final album to be released on Strata Inc., Time is a dream- like mix of mood, an album
full of range, tempo, and feeling; from the impulsive and airy rendition of the jazz standard
'All The Things You Are' to the brooding melancholia of 'Tony,' Nozero’s Time is destined to
become known among aficionados as a classic of 1970s jazz. Like time itself, each song is
open to individual interpretation - something Nozero himself confessed to on the album’s
original liner notes, saying 'It got so deep that we decided to call the group and our album
after that concept of TIME, because it seemed to mean something to just about everyone.'
A native of Detroit, Nozero spent time in Charles Moore’s Detroit Contemporary 5 (part of
Strata Inc.) before being drafted into the military. While enlisted, Nozero capitalised on his
time by honing his craft in the Army Band. By the time he returned to Detroit, Nozero had
little trouble landing high-profile gigs. No stranger to success, Nozero’s previous credits and
collaborators include Henry Mancini, Sergio Mendes, and playing Soprano sax on Marvin
Gaye’s iconic 1971 album, What’s Going On.
Working with his cousin and collaborator Dennis Tini, Time is unlike many albums of the era
in that it truly feels like a work fuelled by freewheeling expressionism. The pieces are funky,
soulful, strange and soothing all at once. Tini’s stand-out contribution to the album is 'Tune
for L.N.', a funk-fuelled piece of rhythm-centric jazz. A distinguishing feature of the album is
the use of wordless vocals. The scat work on part two of 'Chronicle Of The Murdered House'
adds a distinct counterpoint to Nozero’s reed work, while the high pitch bebop of 'Baubles,
Bangles and Beads' closes out the album with a carefree and buoyant groove.
Time has been remastered by the Grammy nominated studio The Carvery, along with the
artwork, which has been restored and includes never seen before photos.

Vinyl release of Larry Nozero - Time. Released through BBE MUSIC and available on 2LP.