Catalyst

by Andrew HamiltonPeople living anywhere other than Southeastern Pennsylvania, Jersey, or New York in the 70s missed the Catalyst experience. Catalyst, a four-man jazz combo from Philadelphia, played a gourmet of avant-garde, contemporary bop, soul, and classical that preceded the big fusion explosion. The originals were Eddie Green (keyboards, vocals), Sherman Ferguson (drums, percussion, marimba), Odean Pope (sax, flute, oboe), and Al Johnson (bass). Tyrone Brown replaced Johnson after Catalysts debut album on Muse Records, 1972s Catalyst. Producer Skip Drinkwater discovered them playing at the Aqua Lounge in West Philly; this resulted in a contract with Muse Records, with Drinkwater producing. Green was a disciple of the Bud Powell school of playing, and was instructed on chord changes by Powells brother, Richard. Pope was tutored by Ray Bryant, Benny Golson, and others; strains of John Coltrane are revealed when the aggressive sax player expands. Ferguson was a bop drummer whose effortless tempo changes and impeccable timing kept Catalyst tight. Johnson, who joined Weather Report after Catalysts first album, was self-taught, but influenced by classical music. They rehearsed hard and inspired each other to play better. Jazz clubs in Philly were plentiful in the 70s, which may account for the groups lack of trips outside the region; though the true culprit is Muse, who never gave them any tour support. A second album, Perception, was issued in 1972 on Cobblestone Records, it featured some brilliant avant-garde work that won the hearts of jazz purists and increased their cult following. This was a creative period — the recording deal was fresh, and they were eager to please and apply their best licks to their stimulating original material. In 1974, the guys returned to Muse for the Unity album, a fusion masterpiece that for many is more pleasing than better-known recordings from the era by Weather Report and Return to Forever. Billy Hart and Mawandish accompany Catalyst on this spacey, illuminating set. A final album, 1975s After a Tear and a Smile, differed from the ones before it; the group never made the same album (style-wise) twice. Four sterling efforts with no significant sales made them leery of the recording business. They put a lot of time into the albums; they werent jam sessions, but carefully thought out, rehearsed studio executions that Muse kept shelved as if they were contaminated. Disgusted and unable to get any lucrative jobs, the fellows separated in 1976. Green played with Pat Martino, and accompanied many of Philadelphia International Records biggest acts, including Billy Paul, MFSB, and the Three Degrees live; he also taught music at a settlement school. Pope and Brown joined Max Roach for an open-end gig. Pope was also an integral member of the acclaimed Saxophone Choir. Johnson left early to play with Weather Report, and Sherman Ferguson has bopped around with Pharoah Sanders, Kenny Burrell, Bud Shank, and others. The acquiring of the Muse catalog by 32 Jazz has rekindled an interest in Catalyst and introduced them to new fans who missed them the first time around. First out the box was Groove Jammy: Rare Groove Classics From the Muse Catalog in 1998, a compilation CD that features Catalyst and other Muse artists. The release created a spark and fans demanded more of the quartet, resulting in The Funkiest Band You Never Heard in 1999, a two-disc CD containing all four of Catalysts 70s albums.