William Parker

• 2-LP EDITION

I Plan To Stay A Believer is the definitive document of William Parker’s The Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield project, featuring fully charged extensions & expansions – both music & text – of selections from the soul music legend’s immortal songbook by an equally mighty & masterful 8-piece band featuring Parker himself in supreme rhythm section communion with drummer Hamid Drake and pianist Dave Burrell. Vocals by the exquisitely gifted Leena Conquest & additional voice/poetry/powerful singing as well by legendary scribe/force Amiri Baraka in one of his greatest/last appearances on record.

PERSONNEL:

• WILLIAM PARKER, bass, balofon, donso’ngoni
• HAMID DRAKE, drums
• DAVE BURRELL, piano
• LEENA CONQUEST, vocals
• AMIRI BARAKA, poetry, voice
• LEWIS BARNES, trumpet
• DARRYL FOSTER, tenor & soprano saxophone
• SABIR MATEET, alto & tenor saxophone, flute

TRACKS:

• SIDE A: I Plan To Stay A Believer
• SIDE B: We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue
• SIDE C: This Is My Country / Ya He Yey Ya
• SIDE D: People Get Ready / The Inside Song