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An amazing album from Build An Ark – even more spiritual and far-reaching than their first – and still with a vibe that rivals some of the most righteous jazz ever issued in the 70s on labels like Impulse and Strata East! The ensemble features both older and younger players – coming together in a collective exploration of some of the hipper sides of the jazz spectrum – all in a mode that recalls early genius of Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, and others from many years back – recorded in a style that's completely sensitive to the nuances of the music. Carlos Nino produced, and also contributed some of the tunes – and group members include Dwight Trible on vocals, Nate Morgan on piano, Adam Rudolph on kalimba, and Derf Reklaw on congas – but that's only the tip of the iceberg, given the size of the group. Titles include "Sunshine", "Healing Song", "Love Sweet Like Sugar Cane", "Dawn", "River Run", "When Ancestors Speak", "Morning Glory", "In Her Smile", and "You Yourself Are The Key To The Universe".

A perfect title for a perfect record – especially given all the love we've felt from Build An Ark over the years! The album's a masterpiece through and through – easily the greatest statement ever from this already-amazing band – a contemporary ensemble, but one that we'd seamlessly rank right next to our righteous favorites on labels like Impulse Records, Tribe, or Strata East – with all the political power and sense of social mission those references would imply! The song titles alone will give you a great idea of the beautiful vibe behind Build An Ark – tunes like "Celebrate", "How Do We End All This Madness", "Love Is Everywhere", "World Peace Now", and "This Prayer For The Whole World" – which re-ignite the Love Supreme candle first lit by John Coltrane in the 1960s – burning brightly again in the 21st Century, and almost even more inspiring – given the youthful energy of the group. As always, mainman Carlos Nino deserves a hell of a lot of credit for getting something this great, this right – but the group is also very clearly a collective, and draws amazing energy from members who include Dwight Trible, Kamau Daaood, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Damon Aaron, Jim Lang, and others. In addition to above-mentioned titles, other tunes include "Sweet Thing", "World Music", "More Love", "In The Park", and "Play The Music".

A brilliant extension of the Love set from Build An Ark – focusing on some of the more improvisational spirit that's integral to their cosmic groove! Love Part 2 is mix of intimate moments and soaring atmospherics from Carlos Nino, Miguel-Atwood Ferguson and the rest of the stellar ensemble, plus guests and fellow travelers such as vocalists Dwight Trible, Carmen Lundy, Leisei Chen and Mia Doi Todd, violinist Michael White and others. The overall vibe and instrumentation are unpredictable from one movement to the next, but there's always a hypnotic mood at play, be it spun by sparely furnished strings and percussion, earthy global jazz influences or far spacier dynamics! Titles include a lively (and live sounding) string jazz improvisational take on "What The World Needs Now Is Is Love" with passionate vocals and pared down lyrics by Leisei Chen flavored with violin, viola, cello and sitar – plus "Cosmic Tuning", "Nature", "Ginger", "Say Yes!", "Improvisation Day 1", "Improvisation Day 2", ""Improvisation Day 8", "Cadence Of The Love Messengers" and wonderfully unique take on Donny Hathaway's "Tryin Times" with vocals by Carmen Lundy and Dwight Trible.

A beautiful project from the contemporary underground scene in LA – a record that shares lots of energy and musicians with recordings by Build An Ark and Life Force Trio! Dexter Story's the main force behind the record, but the set's a strongly collaborative effort – and features keyboards from Mark De Clive-Lowe, flute from Derf Reklaw, strings from Mighel Atwood-Ferguson, vocals from Dwight Trible, and key studio work from Carlos Nino! Story's vocals and overall conception are wonderful – soaring and soulful, with some slight cosmic touches that give the record a bit more crackle than related projects – a sound that's still steeped in spiritual jazz elements, yet which also really opens up as the set rolls on. There's a wonderful sense of variety to the tracks – due to the shifting lineup – but the overall feel is still very cohesive, and an amazing demonstration of Story's bold musical vision. Titles include "Seasons", "Into The Hour", "Love Force Trio (part 1)", "Underway", "Water Bearer", "Paddle Boat", "Bloop Drip", "Gyre Song", "As Is", "God Sun", and "Suijin".

A beautiful project from the contemporary underground scene in LA – a record that shares lots of energy and musicians with recordings by Build An Ark and Life Force Trio! Dexter Story's the main force behind the record, but the set's a strongly collaborative effort – and features keyboards from Mark De Clive-Lowe, flute from Derf Reklaw, strings from Mighel Atwood-Ferguson, vocals from Dwight Trible, and key studio work from Carlos Nino! Story's vocals and overall conception are wonderful – soaring and soulful, with some slight cosmic touches that give the record a bit more crackle than related projects – a sound that's still steeped in spiritual jazz elements, yet which also really opens up as the set rolls on. There's a wonderful sense of variety to the tracks – due to the shifting lineup – but the overall feel is still very cohesive, and an amazing demonstration of Story's bold musical vision. Titles include "Seasons", "Into The Hour", "Love Force Trio (part 1)", "Underway", "Water Bearer", "Paddle Boat", "Bloop Drip", "Gyre Song", "As Is", "God Sun", and "Suijin".

One of the most righteous albums of the 21st century so far – and an instant classic we'll be loving for years! Build An Ark are a seriously heavy soul jazz ensemble, with roots and traditions that stretch back to the most righteous days of the 70s underground – the brainchild of producer Carlos Nino and vocalist Dwight Trible – and featuring work by soul jazz stalwarts that include Phil Ranelin, Nate Morgan, Derf Reklaw, Adam Rudolph, and others – all coming together in a fresh, new expression of the righteous ideals that first motivated their original work! Under the guidance of Nino, the group really gels together nicely – working in a loose mode that's a nice change from the tighter cosmic 21st century soul of the European scene – and returning to the organic, almost folksy forms that first emerged on 70s independent labels like Tribe, Strata East, and Nimbus. LA luminary Nate Morgan plays some great Fender Rhodes on many of the album's best tracks – and singer Dwight Trible has a soulful range that's somewhere between the style of Terry Callier and Leon Thomas. This EP features 5 tracks in all – including a massively beautiful remake of Pharoah Sanders "You've Got To Have Freedom", plus Phil Ranelin's "Vibes From The Tribe", and the original tracks "Pure Imagination/Tortoise & The Hare", "Door Of The Cosmos (take 1)", and "Marcia" – the last 2 of which weren't on the full LP!

One of the crunchiest efforts we've heard from IG Culture in awhile – a record that's filled with the cosmic beats we've always loved in his music, yet firmly grounded on earth overall! The set mixes heavy rhythms with lots of vocals and rhymes – efforts from ID 4 Windz, Mr Mensah, Julie Dexter, K Banger, Bilal Salaam, and John Robinson – all wrapped and layered together in ways that are quite different from conventional hip hop, and which really resonate with the kind of collective, collaborative spirit we love in IG's music! There's an even darker feel here than usual – which we really appreciate – and titles include "Catalog Pieces", "Futures Back", "Black Renaissance", "Core Exit", "Truth", "Tangile Dream", "Outsider", "What's Happening", "The Sankofaz Peace Ark-Extra", and "Do The Math".