Elaine Brown has led a life of distinction. Appointed in August
1974 by Huey Newton from his exile in Cuba to be the one
and only female leader of the Black Panther Party, Elaine
has pursued a career of community service that continues
to this day. But her debut 1969 album Seize the Time leaves
one wondering what would have happened had she not
put her musical career second. She was first discovered
as a performer while singing Thomas Dorsey's "Precious Lord" at
the funeral service for Panther Bunchy Carter. Afterwards, Panther's Chief of Staff David Hilliard had
her audition for him accompanying herself on piano. That session led to her composition "The Meeting"
(about an encounter with Eldridge Cleaver) being adopted as the Black Panther Party National Anthem,
and an album was commissioned. Elaine enlisted Los Angeles jazz legend Horace Tapscott and his Pan-
Afrikan Peoples Arkestra to arrange and back her, and Seize the Time was born-which the Black Panther
Party's newspaper called "the first songs of the American revolution."
Blending influences ranging from Bob Dylan to classical, and anchored by Elaine's powerful delivery
of her deeply-felt lyrics, this album will stir your blood whether you agree with its politics or not. Now,
with the cooperation of Elaine Brown herself, Seize the Time sees its first-ever American LP reissue,
complete with original "uni-pak" packaging featuring lyrics and liner notes, plus an insert with new
liner notes by Pat Thomas, author of Listen Whitey! The Sounds of Black
Power 1965-1975.Limited run of 950 copies in deep purple vinyl.
![SHEIDA GHARACHEDAGHI & MOHAMMAD REZA ASLANI - CHESS OF THE WIND [LP]](http://strypt.com/5517619_150.jpg "SHEIDA GHARACHEDAGHI & MOHAMMAD REZA ASLANI - CHESS OF THE WIND [LP] (MISSISSIPPI RECORDS)")
