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.

Reception
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".

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."

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."

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."

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)