Catalyst – Perception

Description

The Analog Vault // Essential Listening

Returning to vinyl for the first time in over 50 years, Catalysts 1973 cratedigger-favorite sizzler,Perception, is a showcase of the bands effortless mastery in dancing in the groovy sonic space between avant-garde jazz and moody fusion. In more recent years, Catalystand Perceptionhave garnered renewed attention through a variety of retrospectives. AllMusic hailed it as brilliant avant-garde work, while All About Jazz noted that the five tunes that make upPerception, offer, perhaps, the best viewpoint of this interesting group. The quartet breaks from riffs and vamps to freely explore from within.

Cut from the original tapes (AAA) by Kevin Gray, pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a tip-on jacket.

Weve dug deep into the Muse Records vault for our latest Top Shelf series reissue: Catalysts long-sought-after 1973 sizzler, Perception. Out of print for more than five decades, the album serves up a moody strain of jazz that activates both the mind and the soul, while a powerhouse cast of musicians (saxophonist/flutist Odean Pope, keyboardist Eddie Green, synth pioneer Patrick Gleeson, and guitarist Norman Harris, among others) deliver some of their finest performances. Featuring such highlights as Uzuri, Celestial Bodies, Perception, and Got to Be There.

Perception arrives in November 2025 with all-analog re-mastering and is available to pre-order/pre-save today. The LP was cut from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a tip-on gatefold jacket, while the album will also be coming to streaming platforms in newly remastered standard and HD audio.

As the self-proclaimed funkiest band youve never heard, Catalyst was a Philadelphia-based quartet whose far-out brand of jazz made them one of the earliest purveyors of fusion. Their sound was fresh and innovative, while their breathtaking musicianship was of the highest caliber. And yet, a multitude of factors prevented the short-lived band from achieving widespread recognition. Those in the know, however, have long revered Catalysts brief but influential catalog.

Formed at the turn of the 70s, Catalyst featured a supremely talented line-up of local musicians, including keyboardist/vocalist Eddie Green, percussionist Sherman Ferguson (who began as a sideman for the likes of Pat Martino, Charles Earland, and Don Patterson), and tenor saxophonist/flutist Odean Pope, who cut his chops playing alongside everyone from James Brown and Marvin Gaye to Max Roach. Founding bassist Alphonso Johnson, who would go on to work with legendary fusion group The Weather Report, was replaced by Tyrone Brown not long after the release of Catalysts self-titled debut.

Playing regularly around their home city, the quartet was discovered by producer Skip Drinkwater (Alphonse Mouzon, Eddie Henderson, Lee Ritenour), who signed them to the New York-based jazz label, Cobblestone Records (acquired soon after by Muse Records). Working with Drinkwater and producer Dennis Wilen, the group recorded 1972s Catalysta blend of jazz, rock, and funk, that helped earn the band a cult following.

The following year, they returned with Perception. Working once again with Drinkwater and Wilen, the ensemble expanded upon their debut, allowing themselves the space to explore the limits of their musical creativity. Helping them achieve their sound were several special guests, including guitarist Norman Harris, who was hugely influential in creating the Philly Sound, as well as synth pioneer Patrick Gleeson, who can be heard on the ARP.

The focused, near-telepathic connection between the musicians is palpable, as they deftly blend avant-garde jazz with atmospheric soul, creating a sound that is provocative yet accessible. Among the highlights is the heady, fourteen-and-a-half-minute-long Perception. On the other end of the spectrumclocking in at just under three minutesis the breezy and melodic Uzuri, led by Pope, who shines on the flute. The ethereal Celestial Bodies, meanwhile, showcases Greens nuanced work on the keyboards. The quartet closes out the album with a groovy rendition of Got to Be There, made famous by a young Michael Jackson just two years earlier.

Following the release ofPerception, Catalyst returned with two more albums1974s Unity and 1975s A Tear and a Smilebefore parting ways in 1976 to pursue other projects. Pope reunited with Max Roach; Brown, Ferguson, and Green recorded with Pat Martino; and Ferguson performed alongside Pharoah Sanders, Kenny Burrell, and Dizzy Gillespie, among others.

Limited by a lack of label support, Catalysts profile remained largely confined to the cities where they performed (namely Philadelphia and New York). Still, the group earned a cult following over the decades, as their coveted albums were shared between those in the know. In addition to being sampled by various artists, Catalyst was honored by Questlove, Christian McBride, and Uri Caine, who paid tribute with covers of Perceptions Ile Ife and Catalysts Aint It the Truth on their acclaimed 2001 album, The Philadelphia Experiment.

In more recent years, Catalystand Perceptionhave garnered renewed attention through a variety of retrospectives. AllMusic hailed it as brilliant avant-garde work, while All About Jazz noted that the five tunes that make upPerception, offer, perhaps, the best viewpoint of this interesting group. The quartet breaks from riffs and vamps to freely explore from within. (via Label)

Vinyl tracklist:
A1 Perception
A2 Uzuri
B1 Celestial Bodies
B2 Ile Ife
B3 Got To Be There

Label: Craft Recordings, Muse Records
Series: Jazz Dispensary Top Shelf Series
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g
Reissued: 2025 / Original: 1973
Genre: Jazz, Funk / Soul
Style: Soul-Jazz, Jazz-Funk, Modal, Fusion

File under: TAV Essential Listening
File under: Jazz // Soul-Jazz / Jazz-Funk