"Jazz bassist and composer William Parker is the penultimate Renaissance Man. Founder and organizer of NYC's Vision Fest, big band leader, sideman extraordinaire and duo partner with such scene luminaries as Hamid Drake and Matthew Shipp, Parker has demonstrated his talents in almost every conceivable setting. But it is in that most traditional of post-bop line-ups that Parker's true genius manifests itself, the piano-less quartet. Although they only have one previous album available, 2000's magnificent studio recording: O'Neal's Porch, their lack of catalog has not diminished the group's importance or level of acclaim. Recorded live (with studio quality sound) in Vancouver and Montreal, Sound Unity is the triumphant follow up fans have been waiting for.
The album features all new tunes played with the stylistic variety and passionate intensity that this group is admired for. Parker's quartet writing is surprisingly melodic considering his avant garde credentials and all of the tunes feature catchy, memorable melodies. There are bouncy mid-tempo swingers such as the opening cut, "Hawaii," and the retro-cool swagger of the noirish "Harlem." "Poem For June Jordan" is a magisterial ballad, but the order of the day is the vigorous but accessible free-bop found in the jaunty, angular "Wood Flute Song." Parker's interest in traditional ethnic music is represented with the Africanized bass modal vamp that introduces the title track and "Groove" features Hamid Drake delivering a shuffling reggae rhythm that takes the album out on a gentle but joyous note.
The ensembles harmonic and rhythmic interplay is so remarkable that one can't help but be reminded of Ornette Coleman's classic quartet. Rob Brown's keening tart alto is often the hot Yin to Lewis Barne's cool muted trumpet Yang and Parker is not only the foundation, but a mighty soloist as well. To say there have been few other jazz bassists since Charles Mingus who are as melodic as Parker is no casual overstatement. As a rhythm section, the Parker-Drake axis is an unbeatable combination, from thrashing primal energy to subtle, nuanced call and response, these two can and have played virtually everything together. Widely considered one of jazz's finest rhythm sections, Parker and Drake's symbiotic rapport is well documented with Sound Unity as ample proof. This quartet exemplifies the art of jazz improvisation at its most telepathic level, a group that will easily go down in the history books as revered as Miles Davis' second quintet or John Coltrane's classic quartet."
-Troy Collins, Junkmedia.org