The Fire from Within

The Fire from Within is an album by the American jazz violinist Billy Bang, recorded in 1984 and released on the Italian Soul Note label.^[1]

The Fire from Within
Studio album by Billy Bang Sextet
Released	1984
Recorded	September 19 & 29, 1984
Genre	Jazz
Length	47:04
Label	Soul Note
Producer	Giovanni Bonandrini
Billy Bang chronology
Bangception (1983) The Fire from Within (1984) Live at Carlos 1 (1986)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide	[4]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz	[5]

The editors of AllMusic awarded the album 4½ stars, and reviewer Stephen Cook stated that it "nicely shows off the violinist's unique approach to post-bop jazz from swingers to ballads, trad to free... A perfect entrée for Billy Bang newcomers".^[2]

The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings wrote: "The combination of trumpet, guitar and percussion makes an effective foil for Bang's grainy lines... The sheer woodiness of the sound... is beguiling, and the melodic and rhythmic language rich."^[3]

The Washington Post's Geoffrey Himes called Bang "a remarkable composer," and commented: "One can hear in the music a struggle to reach beyond the obvious for something new."^[6]

A writer for the Los Angeles Times praised the album's "appealing, lightly textured sound," and stated that it "stands as a strong blend of tradition and experimentation."^[7]

Track listing

All compositions by Billy Bang

1. "The Glow of Awareness" - 5:38
2. "The Nagual Julian" - 5:46
3. "The Shift Below" - 6:24
4. "Petty Tyrants" - 5:32
5. "The New Seers" - 10:41
6. "The Mold of Man" - 7:34
7. "Inorganic Beings" - 5:29

• Recorded at Vanguard Studios in New York City on September 19 & 29, 1984

Personnel

• Billy Bang - violin
• Ahmed Abdullah - trumpet
• Oscar Sanders - guitar
• William Parker – bass
• Thurman Barker - marimba
• John Betsch – drums, cowbells
• Charles Bobo Shaw - cowbells (track 2)