Track Listing:
Witness For The Defense {Fred Wesley, B Worrell} 5:17
Set The Tone/Victory {Amina Claudine Myers, Umar Bin Hassan, B Worrell} 9:48
The Mask {Buckethead, B Worrell} 7:43
Gladiator Skull {Bill Laswell, B Worrell} 4:13
Moon Over Brixton {Alfred Ellis, F Wesley} 6:02
Judie's Passion Purple {B Laswell, B Worrell} 14:43
Fields of Play {Oz Fritz, B Laswell, B Worrell} 2:45
Personnel:
"Witness For the Defense"
Organ, Synth: Bernie Worrell
Trombone: Fred Wesley
French Horn: Vincent Chancey
Bass Clarinet: Marty Ehrlich
Bassoon: Janet Grice
Clarinet: Patience Higgins
Woodwind Arranger: Bernie Worrell
"Set The Tone/Victory"
Mini Moog, Clavinet: Bernie Worrell
Organ: Bernie Worrell, Amina Claudine Myers
Vocal Narration: Umar Bin Hassan
"The Mask"
Organ: Bernie Worrell
Guitar, Effects: Buckethead
"Gladiator Skull"
Organ, Synth: Bernie Worrell
Beats, Loops, Samples: Bill Laswell
"Moon Over Brixton"
Organ: Bernie Worrell
Trombone: Fred Wesley
French Horn: Vincent Chancey
Bass Clarinet: Marty Ehrlich
Bassoon: Janet Grice
Clarinet: Patience Higgins
Noise: Bill Laswell
Woodwind Arranger: Bernie Worrell
"Judie's Passion Purple"
Electric Piano, Organ: Bernie Worrell
Organ: Amina Claudine Myers
Noise: Bill Laswell
"Fields of Play"
Synth: Bernie Worrell
Samples, Effects: Bill Laswell
Sounds: Oz Fritz
Producer: Bill Laswell, Bernie Worrell
Rating: RC: ***
Comments:RC: This album is yet another interesting departure for Bernie Worrell, though one that makes complete sense in the progression of his solo albums. This album isn't really a funk album, but rather a jazz/classical/ambient album with heavy funk overtones. As such, it can take several listens to get accustomed to, but there's a lot of extremely interesting stuff here, even for a 'regular' funk fan. A number of instruments and musicians not noted for funk are used for the first time, and the results are downright fascinating.
"Witness For The Defense" is a jazz piece dominated by Fred Wesley and a group of woodwind players. The arrangements are mellow, but definitely funky. Bernie's synth and organ almost become a sort of percussive instrument, sounding like a xylophone. "Set The Tone" is a funkier piece dominated entirely by keys, be they Mini-Moogs, Clavinets or Hammonds. There are some truly low-down, smelly-funk sounds going on here, and the poem read by Hassan works perfectly. "The Mask" features some super heavy and funky organ from Bernie and cool effects from Buckethead. This song is as heavy as anything he did with Funkadelic, and it's my favorite track here. "Gladiator Skull" is a driving but less interesting organ/loops piece. "Moon Over Brixton" is another woodwind piece that is quite mellow, almost classical in its nature. "Judie's Passion Purple" is a long, mellow keyboard encounter between Bernie and Amina Myers, made somewhat annoying by the 'noise' that Bill Laswell throws in. "Fields Of Play" is an interesting 'send-off' piece where the weird sounds work well with the synth.
The album features some photos of Bernie and interesting liner notes, discussing Bernie's importance and the band assembled on this album, dubbed 'Pieces Of Woo'. The album is in print but may be hard to find.