21 previously unissued solo tracks recorded between 1962–1965

Pianist Hasaan Ibn Ali was a local Philadelphia legend who had an impact on John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner and many others. He took the larger jazz world by storm in 1965 when The Max Roach Trio Featuring The Legendary Hasaan was released on Atlantic Records. The label was so impressed, they set Ibn Ali up to record his own album later that year, but it was never mixed or released. Thirteen years later, the tapes went up in flames in a New Jersey warehouse. While the sessions were thought lost forever, copies were believed to exist. And they did! Once located and the audio restored, the acclaimed 2021 release of Metaphysics: The Lost Atlantic Album finally saw the light of day.

But Ibn Ali’s story has a side not documented on either of those releases. Alan Sukoenig and saxophonist David Shrier were students at the University of Pennsylvania in 1962, when Shrier told Sukoenig about an incredible pianist he had just heard at a club. It wasn’t long before the three became friends. Over the next four years, Shrier and Sukoenig captured their soon-to-be legend friend on tape, playing standards and a few originals.

The best of these tapes are now collected on Retrospect In Retirement Of Delay: The Solo Recordings. Produced by the team of Sukoenig, Lewis Porter, and Grammy®-winner Cheryl Pawelski, the 2-CD/Digital set also features restoration and mastering by Grammy®-winner Michael Graves, essays by Sukoenig, Porter and pianist Matthew Shipp, and previously unseen photos taken by Sukoenig. A 4-LP vinyl version is due in 2022.

The 21 tracks on Retrospect In Retirement Of Delay: The Solo Recordings now reveal the intimate side of the Hasaan Ibn Ali story with poetic, imaginative, even breathtaking masterpieces that the world didn’t know existed. And for the first time, hear the unique magic of jazz legend Hasaan Ibn Ali playing standards!

2-CD / Digital Track List:

Disc 1:

1. Falling In Love With Love
2. Atlantic Ones (Originally known as “Blue Is”)
3. Yesterdays
4. Cherokee
5. Body And Soul
6. Off Minor
7. Off My Back Jack
8. They Say It’s Wonderful
9. On Green Dolphin Street
10. How Deep Is The Ocean
11. Arabic Song

Disc 2:

11. True Train (Part I)
12. True Train (Part 2)
13. Lover
14. Sweet And Lovely
15. Mean To Me
16. After You’ve Gone
17. It Could Happen To You
18. Untitled Ballad
19. Extemporaneous Prose-Poem
20. Bésame Mucho

4-LP Track List:

Side 1:

1. Falling In Love With Love
2. Atlantic Ones (Originally known as “Blue Is”)
3. How Deep Is The Ocean

Side 2:

11. Yesterdays
12. Cherokee
13. They Say It’s Wonderful

Side 3:

11. Body And Soul
12. Off Minor

Side 4:

11. True Train (Part 1)
12. True Train (Part 2)
13. On Green Dolphin Street
14. Arabic Song

Side 5:

11. Lover
12. Off My Back Jack

Side 6:

11. It Could Happen To You
12. After You’ve Gone

Side 7:

11. Sweet And Lovely
12. Mean To Me

Side 8:

11. Untitled Ballad
12. Extemporaneous Prose-Poem
13. Bésame Mucho