Malone & Barnes and Spontaneous Simplicity

Malone & Barnes and Spontaneous Simplicity were an American jazz-funk/soul duo/band combo from Washington, D.C., built around singer-keyboardist Johnny Malone and reedist Allan Barnes. The act released one album, Freedom Serenade, in 1977 on Humpin’ International.

Members: Johnny Malone (lead vocals, piano, clavinet, synthesizer), Allan Barnes (afro horns, clarinet, flute, piano, synthesizer).

Background

Malone met Barnes while both studied at Howard University in Washington during the 1960s. Donald Byrd taught in that orbit, and Barnes also entered the Blackbyrds lineup that Byrd assembled from Howard players. After Barnes left that band, he rejoined Malone for a Washington club run in Golden Story. Their next collaboration took the title Malone & Barnes and Spontaneous Simplicity, a name drawn from the Sun Ra piece “Spontaneous Simplicity.”

Freedom Serenade

Malone & Barnes and Spontaneous Simplicity released Freedom Serenade in 1977 on Humpin’ International.

Malone foregrounds vocals and keyboards across nine-co-written originals. John Bebbs and Siggie Dillard anchor the drum attack and bass line beneath Tom Newman’s guitar figures. Barnes answers with flute and clarinet. He also adds afro-horn parts beside Delbert Taylor’s trumpet lines and piano. Andre Richardson layers congas and timbales under the ensemble.

“Warp Ten” places Barnes against guest trumpeter Curtis Pope in a featured solo exchange. “Freedom Serenade” inserts a piano solo from Brian Jackson. Malone and Barnes dedicate the title piece to Paul Robeson.

A1. “Workin’ Plan” (3:26)
A2. “Warp Ten” (3:30)
A3. “Up ’N Comin’” (2:47)
A4. “Moonstruck” (3:38)

B1. “Galactic Interlude” (2:51)
B2. “Road Man” (3:23)
B3. “Freedom Serenade” (3:52)
B4. “Journey to the Stars” (4:12)
B5. “Galactic Interlude (Reprise)” (1:22)

Malone and Barnes began Freedom Serenade in Virginia at a studio owned by Lloyd Price. They later remixed material at Sound Factory, Westlake, the Hit Factory, and Electric Lady, with production credited to Malone/Barnes for Senrab Production, Inc.

Alfred Smith supplied the cover art after a painting inspired by a Malone-Barnes performance. Jacky Sealey handled the layout, and the sleeve reproduces the image in sepia.

Humpin’ International issued “Road Man” (b/w “Journey to the Stars”) as a limited 7-inch on catalog number 4711.

In 2006, Freedom Serenade reappeared on Luv N’ Haight, an archival sublabel of Ubiquity.

Discography: