All Categories — All Formats  

A lost chapter in the career of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – an obscure early 70s album, issued by the mostly-blues Paula Records label in Louisiana, and one of the hardest to find albums in their catalog! The album features 3 long tracks – "Chi-Congo", "Enlorfe", and "Hippparippp" – played in an open and inventive style that recalls the best of the group's work in Paris at the end of the 60s. The core group of Lester Bowie, Malachi Favors, Roscoe Mitchell, Joseph Jarman, and Don Moye manage to get their hands on more instruments than you'd hear from the entire percussion section of an orchestra – and with amazing results!

An important pre-Art Ensemble Of Chicago moment – one that has most of the group coming together in a pair of rare recordings in the home of Lester Bowie – already sounding amazingly creative as a unit! The sound is almost freer than later work by the group – or certainly at the fierceness they hit right at the start of the 70s – and the lineup here includes both Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman on a range of reed instruments, Lester Bowie on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Malachi Favors on bass – plus strong input from Thurman Barker on drums, and an appearance on one track from Curtis Clark on bass! The sound is wonderfully raw, and surprisingly clear for a home recording – and the power of the music is undeniable. Both tracks – "A To Ericka" and "Quintet" – were previously part of the Art Ensemble box set on Nessa – but that's been out of print for years, and together these compositions work wonderfully as a full album!

One of the few ECM sides recorded by the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – easily some of the hippest work the label issued at the time, and a key way for the avant collective to get a bit of large audience exposure! The sound is still very much in the best AEC style here – and if anything, ECM's sensitivity to sound has allowed the group to explore some of the farther reaches of their sonic sensibilities – those contemplative moments that could sometimes be lost in the hands of other producers, captured beautifully here in a range of instruments far too many to mention! Some of the bolder tracks have Lester Bowie's trumpet right out front – almost hinting at his own solo association with the label – and titles include "Care Free", "Magg Zelma", "Full Force", and "Old Time Southside Street Dance".

One of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago's all-time classics! If you've ever bought an Art Ensemble album and said "Hmm, what's all the fuss about?", get this one. It'll change your mind. The band is in perfect form – and hits an incredible blend of free thinking modernism and soulful soloing, peppered with a healthy dose of humor. The tracks are shortish, and very tight – and titles include "Jackson In Your House", "Song For Charles", "The Waltz", and "Get In Line".

An incredible package – and one that features three of the most important records ever cut by the Art Ensemble Of Chicago! All three albums were recorded at the Saravah Studios in the summer of 1969 – during a time when the Art Ensemble of Chicago were making big waves on the Parisian scene (including their work in the film Les Stances A Sophie) – and finding a way to refine their new Chicago sound in the world away from the Windy City! These were the albums that really put the Art Ensemble on the map – letting them find new freedoms, and reach new heights in expression – in a mode that even surpassed previous recordings by individual members back home. The lineup is very heavy on reeds – with a variety played by Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman – and features bold trumpet from Lester Bowie, warm basslines from Malachi Favors, and a range of percussion and other instruments by all members of the group! The set comes in a nice book-like cover, with a booklet inside – and titles include "Reese & The Smooth Ones (parts 1 & 2)", "Rock Out", "Brain For The Seine", "Dexterity", "Jackson In Your House", "The Waltz", and "Song For Charles".

A rare treasure from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – recorded as a supposed third album for Atlantic records in 1974, but unissued for years until the group released it on their own! The session is a live one, recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival – and features the unique addition of Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, making for the group's first session ever with the instrument! Muhal's work nicely colors in the spare spaces on the set – giving a soaring, lyrical quality to a few of the numbers – and really standing in stark contrast to the freer solo work of the other players. At times, Abrams is playing these longer lines that almost have a McCoy Tyner sort of energy – directing the set with a tremendous searching vibe – and at other times, he joins the group in their sparer exploration of sound and space – in a mode that's similar to some of their Parisian recordings. Titles include "Sun Precondition One", "Kabalaba", "Kaba Song", "Mal's Delight", and "Improvization A2".

The start of a beautiful relationship between the Art Ensemble Of Chicago and the DIW label – a Japanese imprint who brought the group back to full prominence in the years after they stopped recording for ECM! DIW also let the group really do their own thing, too – almost moving back to some of their best 70s modes in a recording like this – nicely mixing up many different strands of musical influences, all in a very open space that leaves plenty of room for more sensitive moments. The only change might be the increasing presence of some of Lester Bowie's brassier modes – which bring a straighter groove at a few points – but the offbeat reed work of Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell more than offset those moments. Titles include "Charm #10", "Dancer", "We Bop", "Galactic Landscape", "RMR", and "Way Way Down Yonder".

Good live session recorded in the states in 1972, and released the next year by Atlantic. The Art Ensemble's in excellent form, and lay down a stellar performance throughout. The set ranges from driving percussion jams to spare tenor soloing with bass accompaniment. Great stuff, and one of their landmark American recordings. Includes "Unanka", "Immm", and "Odwalla".

Beautiful record by the Art Ensemble, and one of the few truly great records that they made after returning from Paris. Recorded in Chicago in 1973, the record features a guest appearance by Muhal Richard Abrams, who brings his excellent piano playing to the session, and adds another level to the ensemble's sound. The set includes the usual mix of reeds, percussion, vocals, and the beautiful bass work of Malachi Favors. Tracks include "Nonaah", "The Key", "Tnoona", and "Fanfare For The Warriors".

Beautiful work from the Art Ensemble – and one of their undisputed classics! The record features some of the most perfectly realized moments the band ever cut to wax, with a blend of whimsical multi-instrumental improvisation, and a strong sense of the spiritual tradition in jazz. The album features one long piece – "Reese & The Smooth Ones" – and it's a stunning array of spontanteous instrumentation, with a jagged sound that never stops reinventing itself!

One of our favorite albums ever by the Art Ensemble of Chicago – a key French session that captures the group at the height of their powers! The centerpiece of the album is the extended track "Certain Blacks (Do What They Wanna)" – done in a beautiful mix of politics and free group improvisation that come across with amazing power and clarity – making the piece one of the best translations of the Chicago AACM spirit to the European scene. Other tracks on the session include the soulfully spiritual number "One For Jarman", which captures the group at a uniquely laidback level – and the bluesy "Bye Bye Baby", which features one of the few pairings of the group with Chicago Beau and harmonica player Julio Finn.

One of the few ECM sides recorded by the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – easily some of the hippest work the label issued at the time, and a key way for the avant collective to get a bit of large audience exposure! The sound is still very much in the best AEC style here – and if anything, ECM's sensitivity to sound has allowed the group to explore some of the farther reaches of their sonic sensibilities – those contemplative moments that could sometimes be lost in the hands of other producers, captured beautifully here in a range of instruments far too many to mention! Some of the bolder tracks have Lester Bowie's trumpet right out front – almost hinting at his own solo association with the label – and titles include "Care Free", "Magg Zelma", "Full Force", and "Old Time Southside Street Dance".

Very righteous work from Fontella Bass – an album done after her time at Chess Records, and after her work in Paris with the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – in a heartfelt, southern soul mode that's totally great! Fontella's back working with producer Oliver Sain, who first brought her fame back in the 60s – but the sound is a bit more sophisticated than before, drenched with roots from gospel and country soul, but also inflected with some of the more righteous modes of the early 70s, too. Fontella's vocals are incredible – with a range that should have made her one of the leading ladies of soul in the 70s – and titles include "To Be Free", "I Need Love", "Wiping Tears", "Hold On this Time", "Talking About Freedom", and "My God My Freedom My Home". 4 bonus tracks on this CD edition: "It Sure Is Good", "I'm Leaving The Choice To You", "Home Wrecker" and "It's Hard To Get Back In".

An amazing debut from the John Carter/Bobby Bradford New Art Jazz Ensemble – one of the most powerful voices in jazz on the west coast at the end of the 60s! In a way, the quartet's sound is a culmination of the underground changes that had been bubbling under during most of the 60s on the LA scene – new ways of conceiving jazz after Ornette and Dolphy had first set the scene on fire at the start of the decade, but styles that weren't receiving nearly the exposure as some of the better-known avant work on the Chicago, New York, or European scenes. The style here definitely owes something of a legacy to Ornette in the way it reconceives rhythm and melody – and a bit to Dolphy in its freewheeling, free-thinking work on clarinet, flute, and alto by John Carter. Bobby Bradford's bracing trumpet lines really give the album a tremendous punch – and the rest of the group features Tom Williamson on bass and Bruz Freeman (brother of George and Von!) on drums. Titles include "Seeking", "The Village Dancers", "Sticks & Stones", "In The Vineyard", "Karen On Monday", and "Song For The Unsung".

An amazing lost recording from Kahil El'Zabar – and a Ritual Trio record to rival the great sessions cut for the Sound Aspects label in the 80s! As on some of those records, this one features Kahil's beautiful percussion blended with the bass work of Malachi Favors and trumpet of Lester Bowie – both players who step out here in ways that are even more soulful and spiritual than their performances with the Art Ensemble of Chicago! The tracks are very lean, organic, and build beautifully during the course of the recording – these thoughtfully-flowing numbers that are a perfect summation of the essence that Kahil was trying to get at with the Ritual Trio – almost a more spiritual, righteous take on the Great Black Music ideas forged by the AACM – taken to territory that was even more naturalistic than before. Favors' playing is amazing – and the recording is a perfect example of why his work on bass has always been so revolutionary – and Bowie is really at his best too, with none of the hoke that he could sometimes pick up in his later years. Titles include "Inner Sanctum", "Ju Ju Call", "In The Belly Of Now", "Dawning Of The Aware Ones", "The Ancestors Are Among Us", and "Celestial Dance".

Percussionist Kahil El'Zabar leads the Ritual Trio, and the group's one of the truest extensions of the AACM spirit to still exist in Chicago. No wonder, though, as it's got Malachi Favors of the Art Ensemble on bass, as well as multi-faceted reedman Ari Brown on saxes. El'Zabar's the real core of the group, though, and his soulful approach to percussion adds in a degree of warmth that always humanizes the work of the group, pushing it past simple virtuostic improvisation. This set from 1995 still has the group going strong – and it features many strong tracks, including "Sweet Meat", "Fatsmo", " Save Your Love For Me", "Golden Sea", "Trane In Mind", and "Ornette".

One of the first-ever recordings of the Chicago AACM scene – and an early set that has Joseph Jarman recording as a leader before founding the groundbreaking Art Ensemble Of Chicago. The group features some seminal Chicago players who are only now getting the credit they deserve in the history of avant garde jazz – trumpeter Billy Brimfield and tenorist Fred Anderson – plus work by the obscure Christopher Gaddy on piano and marimba, as well as the great percussionists Thurman Barker and Steve McCall. Titles include "Little Fox Run", "Adam's Rib", and "Song For" – and the CD also includes a bonus alternate of "Little Fox Run".

The first album by the group that later went on to become Oneness Of Juju! The album was recorded with a group that featured Plunky Nakabinde and Lon Moshe on reeds and percussion – plus Babatunde on congas and drums – and the overall sound is very much in kind of an Art Ensemble Of Chicago mode - with more "out" soloing overall, mixed with some of the spiritual jazz leanings that would show up more on the group's later work. The album's a fitting record for the Strata East label – as it shows the imprint's equal ability to carve up heavy avant work and more strident spiritual soul jazz. And if we say so ourselves, Plunky's really a wailer on tenor and soprano – sounding a lot like Kalaparusha or some of the other AACM players from the time! Titles include "(Struggle) Home", "Soledad Brothers", "Freedom Fighter", and "Nairobi/Chants".

One of our favorite records ever from ESP – a set that's got even more soul and spirit than we usually hear from the label! The album's one of the first (and few) from saxophonist Frank Lowe as a leader – and it's a unique date that also features alto and soprano sax from Joseph Jarman, who's really blowing beautifully here away from the Art Ensemble of Chicago! The set's got a vibe that's almost like the shift towards the loft jazz years the New York scene took after the initial avant wave documented by ESP in the 60s – informed with some of the spiritualism of the post-Coltrane generation on Impulse Records. Other players include a young William Parker on bass, Joseph Jarman on soprano and alto, and The Wizard (aka Raymond Lee Cheng) on violin, and Rashid Sinan on drums. Side one's got a beautiful long track called "In Trane's Name", and side two has "Brother Joseph" and "Thulani".

One of the most ambitious sets we've heard from Nicole Mitchell – a really unique mixing of modes that features a core Chicago group coming into play with the Arche New Music Ensemble! The initial group features Nicole on flute, vocals, and electronics – with Mwata Boden on baritone and bass clarinet, David Boykin on tenor, and Renee Baker on violin – all set against the larger backdrop of Arche – which features eleven musicians led by Rafal Zapala on electronics and percussion, on piano, trumpet, cello, viola, clarinet, trombone, oboe, and more! Mitchell's still at the heart of the performance – as the tracks are all her own compositions, and she conducts the proceedings as well – with this wonderful mode that's almost a blend of AACM energy with some of the more orchestrated improvisations of the European scene. The bulk of the record features the long "Arc Of O" piece – followed by a smoking rendition of Mitchell's great "Afrika Rising", a much more freewheeling and spiritual number!

The stellar and rare Roscoe Mitchell recordings from the early years of the AACM – with all of the material from Nessa's mid 70s release as Old/Quartet – plus an incredible second disc featuring additional material that we've only seen in Nessa's great Art Ensemble 1967/68 box set! All tracks were recorded in 1967 by Roscoe's Art Ensemble quartet that included Lester Bowie on trumpet and flugelhorn, Malachi Favors on bass, and Philip Wilson on drums – one of the first truly mature groups to emerge from the bubbling cauldron of the Chicago mid 60s avant garde. Mitchell plays alto, soprano, clarinet and flute – and this is one heck of a showcase of these players at an early creative peak! Disc one features the Old/Quartet material, with "Old", the half hour + "Quartet No 2", and "Solo". The second disc includes 2 epic length numbers: "Trio (Oh Susanna)" and "Quartet No 1", plus the shorter, but 4-part "Theme Statements" and "Tats-Matoes (Rehearsal)".

One of the first bold statements to come from Chicago's AACM underground of the 60s – a tremendous debut effort from the young Roscoe Mitchell! The album's got a "sense of the new" feel that's as gripping as anything recorded by ESP or Impulse around the same time – a rule-breaking, freely-creative approach to jazz that builds strongly off the changes already wrought by Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, and Archie Shepp! The format is somewhat like the Art Ensemble Of Chicago at times – with measured horn work from Mitchell on alto, clarinet, and recorder, Maurice McIntyre on tenor, Lester Bowie on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Lester Lashley on trombone (as well as a bit of cello). Some tracks – like the brilliant "Sound" – offer a slow-building exploration of tones and textures – while others, like the blues-joke "Little Suite", or the harmelodic "Ornette", show a wry sense of humor that would become a Chicago avant hallmark as the years went on! CD also features bonus alternate takes of "Sound" and "Ornette".

An important and overlooked British ensemble of the late 60s – a group who were contemporaries of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble and AMM, but who never fully received the same sort of attention! The People Band have a relatively loose approach to improvisation – one that's sometimes a bit warmer and more personal than some of their UK contemporaries – definitely driven by freedom, but also still hanging onto an inherent sense of soul that almost recalls the AACM a bit more than anything else. As with a group like the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, the players switch up instruments a fair bit – really trading sounds and notes in a spontaneously creative way – with Mel Davis on piano, trombone, and cello; Terry Day on drums and alto sax; Lyn Dobson on tenor; Mike Figgis on flugelhorn and acoustic guitar; Frank Flowers on bass; Russell Hardy on piano and keyboards; Eddie Edem on congas and trumpet; Terry Holman on bass and one string thingaphone; and George Khan on tenor and flute. Titles include "Home Trio", "Conduction", "Skip To Part 3", and "Conduction 3". CD features the full album originally issued on the Transatlantic label, plus a few bonus tracks.

A beautiful example of the maturation of American avant jazz in the 70s – a set that has the Revolutionary Ensemble really drawing their sound into focus, drawing on older experimental modes and forging them into a rich new vision – one that would certainly live up to the AACM's promise of "Great Black Music"! The tracks here are all quite long, but they also have a careful, thoughtful feel too – not just improvisations, but measured exercises in spirit and sound – played beautifully by the trio formation of Sirone on flute and bass, Jerome cooper on drums, percussion, and balaphone, and Leroy Jenkins on violin, flute, and kalimba! The mixture of instrumentation is handled with Art Ensemble-like precision at points – never academic, and occasionally loose enough to be loft jazz – but always with an ear for organic richness of sound, in ways that make the album a surprising delight at each new turn. Titles include "Chicago", "March 4 1", "Clear Spring", and "Revolutionary Ensemble".

A classic of spiritual, soulful jazz – and one of Archie Shepp's greatest albums! The set was recorded in New York after a few free and festive years in Paris, and it's an amazing about-face that has Archie stepping into a world of righteous, full-on, political, and funky themes – the likes of which are far more outspoken than any of his previous recordings. The group on the set is quite a large one – hip New York underground players, a small string ensemble, and even a few singers – like soul diva Joshie Armstead and vocalist Joe Lee Wilson. Overall, the sound's somewhere in the same place as the Art Ensemble of Chicago's amazing Les Stances A Sophie – in that the record comes from a free jazz tradition, but moves into a more rhythmic focus in order to communicate its message. The added vocals and recitations are wonderful – very moving, and much less hippy-dippy than on other Shepp records of the time – and the whole thing holds together with a unique sound and substance that's made it a treasure that holds up again and again. A true gem, and one we'll never part with! Tracks include "Quiet Dawn", "Goodbye Sweet Pops", "Steam (parts 1 & 2)", "Attica Blues", "Blues For Brother George Jackson", and "Ballad For A Child".

A classic of spiritual, soulful jazz – and one of Archie Shepp's greatest albums! The set was recorded in New York after a few free and festive years in Paris, and it's an amazing about-face that has Archie stepping into a world of righteous, full-on, political, and funky themes – the likes of which are far more outspoken than any of his previous recordings. The group on the set is quite a large one – hip New York underground players, a small string ensemble, and even a few singers – like soul diva Joshie Armstead and vocalist Joe Lee Wilson. Overall, the sound's somewhere in the same place as the Art Ensemble of Chicago's amazing Les Stances A Sophie – in that the record comes from a free jazz tradition, but moves into a more rhythmic focus in order to communicate its message. The added vocals and recitations are wonderful – very moving, and much less hippy-dippy than on other Shepp records of the time – and the whole thing holds together with a unique sound and substance that's made it a treasure that holds up again and again. A true gem, and one we'll never part with! Tracks include "Quiet Dawn", "Goodbye Sweet Pops", "Steam (parts 1 & 2)", "Attica Blues", "Blues For Brother George Jackson", and "Ballad For A Child".

Revolutionary jazz from the era of the Civil Rights Movement and beyond – soulful and spiritual jazz as important as any of the era – an impeccably well chosen compilation of Freedom, Rhythm & Sound from Soul Jazz Records! The set is a tie-in with Soul Jazz's essential Freedom, Rhythm & Sound book – documenting the sounds and providing an aural portrait of a fertile creative period in African American music and cultural history – when the societal struggles were a counterpart to the heretofore unseen depth of creativity and empowerment in jazz music. Includes a nice booklet of notes, and songs from both the independent underground, and some that made it onto established labels like Verve and others, and material by Joe Henderson, Archie Shepp, Errol Parker, Mary Lou Williams, Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Horace Tapscott, Sun Ra and many more. 23 pivotal tracks on 2CDs, many running on the longer side, for a straight up incredible set of spiritual soul jazz: includes "Africa" by Oliver Lake/NTU, "Space A Nova" by Stanton Davis' Ghetto/Mysticism, "Miss DD" by Mary Lou Williams, "Old Time Religion" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Drinking Song" by Gary Bartz NTU Troop, "Attica Blues" by Archie Shepp, "Peyote Song No III" by Horace Tapscott & Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, "Freedom Time" by Pharoahs, "Black Survival" by Roy Brooks & Artistic Truth and more.

Revolutionary jazz from the era of the Civil Rights Movement and beyond – soulful and spiritual jazz as important as any of the era – an impeccably well chosen compilation of Freedom, Rhythm & Sound from Soul Jazz Records! The set is a tie-in with Soul Jazz's essential Freedom, Rhythm & Sound book – documenting the sounds and providing an aural portrait of a fertile creative period in African American music and cultural history – when the societal struggles were a counterpart to the heretofore unseen depth of creativity and empowerment in jazz music. Includes a nice booklet of notes, and songs from both the independent underground, and some that made it onto established labels like Verve and others, and material by Joe Henderson, Archie Shepp, Errol Parker, Mary Lou Williams, Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Horace Tapscott, Sun Ra and many more. Volume 1 of the vinyl version has 10 tracks on 2LPs, many running on the longer side, for a straight up incredible set of spiritual soul jazz: includes "Africa" by Oliver Lake/NTU, "Space A Nova" by Stanton Davis' Ghetto/Mysticism, "Miss DD" by Mary Lou Williams, "Old Time Religion" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Drinking Song" by Gary Bartz NTU Troop and more.

A fantastic package that explores the full range of genius on the legendary avant label BYG/Actuel – one of the most important European imprints at the end of the 60s! Actuel was home to some of the best avant garde jazz coming out of Paris in the late 60s and early 70s – an especially important document of the post-68 revolution in European music – at a time when so many American players where showing up in France, and finding great opportunities in the new freedoms of the scene! The package features seminal sides from US avant musicians – like Steve Lacy, Anthony Braxton, Clifford Thornton, Don Cherry, Jimmy Lyons, Archie Shepp, Sonny Sharrock, Sunny Murray, Grachan Moncur III, and The Art Ensemble Of Chicago – and it also features work by European musicians like Claude Delcloo and Jacques Coursil, plus genre-busting work by MEV and Gong as well. The 3CD box features a 48 page book – with lots of great illustrations, and notes from Thurston Moore and Byron Coley – and the set features 26 long tracks in all!

Very righteous work from Fontella Bass – an album done after her time at Chess Records, and after her work in Paris with the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – in a heartfelt, southern soul mode that's totally great! Fontella's back working with producer Oliver Sain, who first brought her fame back in the 60s – but the sound is a bit more sophisticated than before, drenched with roots from gospel and country soul, but also inflected with some of the more righteous modes of the early 70s too. Fontella's vocals are incredible – with a range that should have made her one of the leading ladies of soul in the 70s – and titles include "To Be Free", "I Need Love", "Wiping Tears", "Hold On this Time", "Talking About Freedom", and "My God My Freedom My Home".

A long-overdue look at one of the most important groups to grace the British jazz scene of the 60s and 70s – the legendary Blue Notes, a group of South African expatriates with an undeniably huge influence on the music of their new homeland! The ensemble featured key players who went onto do some amazing work on their own, but first came together in this group – trumpeter Mongezi Feza, saxophonist Dudu Pukwana, pianist Chris McGregor, bassist Johnny Dyani, and drummer Louis Moholo – all players as dynamic together and important on their own as the members of the Art Emsemble of Chicago from the US. The set finally brings out all of the group's key albums for the Ogun label, plus some great bonus material too – a rich tapestry of work that shows the combo's evolution from African-tinged jazz of the 60s to some much more farther-reaching sounds in the 70s – all beautifully packaged, with each album presented on its own inside a larger slipcase! The set features The Blue Notes Legacy, a live date in South Africa from 1964; Blue Notes For Mongezi, a double-length set recorded after the passing of group trumpeter Mongezi Feza; Blue Notes For Johnny, a date recorded after the passing of bassist Johnny Dyani; and Blue Notes In Concert, a great live date recorded in 1977. There's a wealth of wonderful music here – and along with the bonus tracks, the set also features a great booklet of remembrances and vintage photos!

An amazing lost recording from Kahil El'Zabar – and a Ritual Trio record to rival the great sessions cut for the Sound Aspects label in the 80s! As on some of those records, this one features Kahil's beautiful percussion blended with the bass work of Malachi Favors and trumpet of Lester Bowie – both players who step out here in ways that are even more soulful and spiritual than their performances with the Art Ensemble of Chicago! The tracks are very lean, organic, and build beautifully during the course of the recording – these thoughtfully-flowing numbers that are a perfect summation of the essence that Kahil was trying to get at with the Ritual Trio – almost a more spiritual, righteous take on the Great Black Music ideas forged by the AACM – taken to territory that was even more naturalistic than before. Favors' playing is amazing – and the recording is a perfect example of why his work on bass has always been so revolutionary – and Bowie is really at his best too, with none of the hoke that he could sometimes pick up in his later years. Titles include "Inner Sanctum", "Ju Ju Call", "In The Belly Of Now", "Dawning Of The Aware Ones", "The Ancestors Are Among Us", and "Celestial Dance".

A really great album from Fire – a set that has the trio expanded way more than usual, into jazz orchestra form – and working here in a style that's wonderfully soulful and spiritual overall! The set isn't just a spiritual jazz outing – as it's got these really unique flavors and colors that still echo the intensity of the previous Fire trio outings, but which spread the energy out over the larger ensemble, then give it a lot more focus too – less improvisation, and instead some really visionary arrangements that make the whole thing shine brilliantly from start to finish. There's a bit of vocals, which are tremendous too – almost echoing some of the Fontella Bass work with the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, but darker too. Mats Gustafsson conducts the group – and really blows us away with his efforts – and the set features one long two part composition – with performances by Sten Sandell on piano and electronics, Mariam Wallentin and Sofia Jernberg on voice, Magnus Broo and Emil Strandberg on trumpet, Jonas Kullhammar on bass sax, Fredrik Ljungkvist on baritone and clarinet, and Mats himself on tenor and live electronics!

A treasure! The set features rare live work from three key members of The Blue Notes, working here alongside tenorist Frank Wright in a late 70s performance from the Netherlands – issued here for the first time, and with really brilliant sound overall! The lineup features Dudu Pukwana on alto and piano, Johnny Dyani on bass and piano, Louis Moholo on drums, and the legendary Frank Wright on tenor and a bit of double bass – all working together freely with a tremendous sense of collaboration – Wright's tenor blown with beautifully soulful, raspy tones that seem to push Dudu even farther than on some of his other albums from the time. There's almost an Art Ensemble Of Chicago feel to the record, although the whole thing comes off with a bit more of a South African soul – as befits the origin of the players – on titles that include "Ancient Spirit" and "Contemporary Fire".

Sun Ra's first album as a leader – originally issued on the Transition label, but presented here in its better-known incarnation by Delmark Records! Even at this early point, Ra had a sound unlike any of his contemporaries – large group and modern, but not in a way that showed any similarities to work going on in New York or LA – a voice that was all his own, and already quite boldly stated, even in these early years! The format might be somewhat familiar – an ensemble with horns and rhythm – but the overall execution really starts to open up as the album moves on – with odd phrasings, timings, and unusual moments that live up to all the promise you might expect from Ra. Even Mingus and some of his better-known contemporaries weren't heading in these directions in the mid 50s – and the record is a proud showcase of the freedoms that players were often accorded in the less-trafficked Chicago scene of the time. Horns include Art Hoyle & Dave Young on trumpets, John Gilmore on tenor sax, Pat Patrick on baritone, Julian Priester on trombone, and James Scales on alto sax – and rhythm includes Jim Herndon on tympani, Robert Barry on drums, Wilbur Green on electric bass, and a young Richard Evans on acoustic bass! Titles include "Brainville", "Call For All Demons", "Transition", "Lullaby For Realville", "Street Named Hell", "New Horizons", "Fall Off The Long", "Possession", and "Future".

A great performance by the Chicago trio of Ernest Dawkins on reeds, Harrison Bankhead on bass, and Hamid Drake on drums and percussion – dedicated to their late scene-mate Fred Anderson, and played with an open, exploratory sound that Anderson would have loved! At times, there's a very unstructured quality to the recording – the most unfettered approach forged by the AACM – with Dawkins especially stretching out, on soprano, alto, or tenor sax. At other points, though, Bankhead's wonderful basslines pull things in, and give them a soulful solidity that underscores the spiritual elements of the music – that element in his sound we always appreciate, and which seems to bring Drake's percussion strongly into focus too – creating a groove that's almost like the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble at times. Titles include "One For Fred", "Waltz Of Passion", "Jah Music", "Down N The Delta", "The Rumble", "Sweet 22nd Street", and "Woman Of Darfur".

A great solo performance from Jerome Cooper – not just drums and percussion, but work on flute, balaphone, and other instruments too! Cooper really brings all of his most thoughtful elements into play here – working slowly, and covering space with ideas that really take some time to stretch out and find themselves – then confidently move forward to open up new chapters in the performance – a bit like some of the best early moments of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, but presented here as a solo act! Side one features "The Unpredictability Of Predictability", in four movements – and side two features "Bert The Cat".

The funky side of the Jewel & Paula labels – surprisingly jazzy work for a company that's best known for its blues recordings! Most of the tracks here come from a creative early 70s stretch for the label – and there's a number of cuts that show a strong connection with the AACM and Chicago undergrounds of the time – mixed with other tracks that show more of the southern roots that you might normally expect from Jewel/Paula. Electric and acoustic sounds mix together wonderfully in the track selection for the package – and titles include "Just A Feelin" by Ronnie Kole, "Chi Congo" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Tropical" by African Music Machine, "L&T" by Tony Valor Orchestra, "Ode To Billie Joe" by Ronnie Kole, "First Thing In The Morning" by James Moody, "I Love Every Little Thing About You" by Odell Brown, "Toussaint Shuffle" by Toussaint McCall, "Got To Get Over" by Sonny Stitt, "One For Bud" by Mal Waldron, and "Great Stone Bottle" by Ronnie Kole.

This is Soul Jazz's masterpiece suite of US independent soul jazz stuff from the seventies. This thing's a monster, and is almost a seventy minute non-stop ride through the heady side of American jazz by great artists like Sun Ra ("Space Is The Place"), Art Ensemble of Chicago ("Theme De Yoyo"), Steve Reid ("Lions of Judah"), and Marcus Belgrave ("Space Odyssey"). A compilation as legendary as the artists it includes.

A really great album from Fire – a set that has the trio expanded way more than usual, into jazz orchestra form – and working here in a style that's wonderfully soulful and spiritual overall! The set isn't just a spiritual jazz outing – as it's got these really unique flavors and colors that still echo the intensity of the previous Fire trio outings, but which spread the energy out over the larger ensemble, then give it a lot more focus too – less improvisation, and instead some really visionary arrangements that make the whole thing shine brilliantly from start to finish. There's a bit of vocals, which are tremendous too – almost echoing some of the Fontella Bass work with the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, but darker too. Mats Gustafsson conducts the group – and really blows us away with his efforts – and the set features one long two part composition – with performances by Sten Sandell on piano and electronics, Mariam Wallentin and Sofia Jernberg on voice, Magnus Broo and Emil Strandberg on trumpet, Jonas Kullhammar on bass sax, Fredrik Ljungkvist on baritone and clarinet, and Mats himself on tenor and live electronics!

Incredible early work from Lorez Alexandria – the kind of albums that instantly set her apart from other singers of the 50s, reissued here properly for the first time in years! On This Is Lorez, the singer is working with sublime small combo backings from the group of pianist King Fleming – an unusual Chicago ensemble that includes Wilber Wynn on guitar, Ronald Wilson on flute and oboe, Vernel Fournier on drums, and Audrey Jones on bongos – a musical lineup that brings in a different sort of sophistication to the record, shading tunes with moody colors on flute and oboe that perfectly support Alexandria's soulful and sensitive interpretations of the tunes. The whole thing is pure genius, and a key look at the new levels of sophistication that were bubbling everywhere on the Chicago scene during the years of Jamal and Sun Ra. Lorez Sings Pres follows in a very similar mode – with backing by a Chicago group that again includes King Fleming piano, plus Charles Stepney on vibes, Paul Serrano on trumpet, and Vernel Fournier on drums – an extremely hip lineup that makes the record far more than just the Lester Young tribute promised in the title! But despite the instrumentalists, the real star on all sides is Alexandria – who sings with dark tones and deep colors that go far beyond conventional jazz vocals – all carried off with that slightly breathy mode that was one more unique aspect of her work! CD features all tracks from both albums – a total of 22 titles that include "Snowstorm", "I'm Glad There Is You", "The Sky Is Crying", "I'm Making Believe", "Necessity", "Penthouse Serenade", "DB Blues", "This Year's Kisses", "Easy Living", "No Eyes Blues", "Jumping With Symphony Sid", and a key early reading of "Baltimore Oriole".

An excellent funky fusion group from Chicago – and one of the best ensembles to record for the Black Jazz label! The group's made up of hip Chicago underground players – and includes Ken Chaney on electric piano, Ari Brown on saxes, and Frank Gordon on trumpet – a lineup that comes together with the same sort of righteous energy and soulful power as Windy City contemporaries like The Pharoahs or Earth Wind & Fire! On this first LP, they jam with a mix of righteous funk and spiritual soul jazz, mixing electric piano, choppy reeds, and tight horns with a powerful rhythm backing that never goes too over the top, and which stays in a good modal mode that works great for the soloists – soaringly expressive at a personal level, yet coming together with a really righteous group feel in the end. Tracks include "Jupiter", "Brand New Feeling", "Convulsions", and "Kera's Dance".

One of the hippest records ever to come out of Chicago – the sole recording by Boscoe, a group who was even more obscure and experimental than contemporaries like The Pharoahs or Artistic Heritage Ensemble! Like those groups, Boscoe has a very unique, very visionary approach – one that's not content just to echo the standard post-Coltrane modes that other spiritual jazz groups around the country were hitting – but which instead moves into territory that touches on the darker sides of funk, soul, and spoken word of the time – all with a message that's incredibly powerful, and conception that's wonderfully fresh throughout! The group's lineup features tenor, trumpet, trombone, guitar, bass, and drums – but they way they're put together is often far different than other funky combos – and it's clear that the group had as much of a sensibility about the overall sound of their record as they did their freer grooves. At times, there's a righteousness here that recalls the best of the early Westbound Records scene from Detroit – but there's an even higher agenda too, which is more in keeping with the spiritual aspriations of their Chicago contemporaries, and which really show up in the lyrics. The whole album's a masterpiece from start to finish – unlike anything that we can think of, still ripe for rediscovery today, and just the kind of set that makes us prouder than ever of our Chicago heritage! Titles include "We Ain't Free", "Money Won't Save You", "Now and Den", "He Keeps You", "I'm What You Need", and "Writin' On The Wall".

One of the most beautiful records we've ever heard from the legendary Phil Cohran – a previously-unissued performance from 1993, and one that's every bit as wonderful as his rare albums of the late 60s! The set was recorded at the planetarium in Chicago – and for the date, Cohran comes up with a really cosmic sound – a small combo that's heavy on string sounds from guitar, bass, and harp – layered together beautifully to create these Alice Coltrane-like undercurrents – over which the group solos with flute, trumpet, and trombone! There's less players here than on some of Cohran's older Artistic Heritage Ensemble sets, but the sound is exactly like those records – right down to some key moments in which Phil plays his amazing Frankiphone – an electrified kalimba with a tremendous tone. Titles include "White Nile", "Cohran Blues", "The Dogon", "Sahara", "Kalahari", and "Kilimanjaro".

A rare and beautiful treasure from Chicago's Phil Cohran and his legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble – material recorded at the end of the 60s, but only issued here for the first time ever! The sound on the record is amazing – much deeper, and more forceful than anything else we've ever heard from Cohran – almost in Sun Ra Arkestra territory at times, given the group's out-there playing, and bold collective action! The lineup is similar to other Cohran recordings from the time – Phil on cornet, Henry Gibson on congas, Pete Cosey on guitar, Louis Satterfield on bass, Charles Williams on alto, Don Myrick on tenor, Charles Handy on trumpet, Willie Woods on trombone, and Aaron Dodd on tuba – a group that's a wonderful bridge between the two important Chicago generations headed by Sun Ra and Earth Wind & Fire. Armageddon is an extended piece, divided up into five different musical acts – conceived by Cohran in the late 50s, and recorded here in 1968 – with some great help from The Spencer Jackson Family on the leadoff track "Motherless Child". Other titles include "Creation Of The Beast", "The Warning", "The Window", and "Armageddon" – a clear reference to the power of the atom bomb!

Great lost work from the legendary Phil Cohran and his Artistic Heritage Ensemble – a composition that was recorded during the group's late 60s years on the Chicago scene – but which has never been released until now! The album stands beautifully alongside the group's self-titled classic and their tribute to Malcolm X – and like those amazing records, this one has a feel that's all its own – an exploration of Moorish elements in Spanish culture – which comes off as a Latin-inflected sound with African roots! The lineup here is similar to other Cohran classics – Donald Myrick on baritone sax, Charles James Williams on alto, Eugene Easton on tenor, Charles Handy on trumpet, Willie Woods on trombone, Aaron Dodd on tuba, Pete Cosey on guitar, Henry Gibson on congas, and Louis Satterfield on bass – a mix of musicians that includes members with Sun Ra and Earth Wind & Fire listed in their resumes! Cohran's vision in the suite is wonderful – and the music has all the depth and righteous energy of his self-titled record, but a bit more Latin fire too – a beautiful blend that really makes us appreciate his genius even more than before, and which finally gives us another record of his to love after all these years.

An amazing bit of music – and an incredible document of generations of creative jazz energy as well! The legendary Phil Cohran teams up here with Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – a collective made up of Cohran's sons, who follow strongly in the rich legacy of his own Artistic Heritage group – yet in a very different way! Hypnotic Brass have caught the ear of many during their bright rise to fame – with a fluid, horn-heavy groove that's really amazing – echoes of Sun Ra and other Chicago creative legends – yet played almost entirely on brass instruments, which gives them an even bolder vibe. Here, working with their progenitor brings the group even more depth than before – an excellent sound that really spins things out wonderfully – percussion layered underneath the horns, solos taking jazzy flight, and an overall righteous vibe that holds things together beautifully. The album's way more than the sum of its parts – and those parts are already rich indeed – and titles include "Stateville", "Cuernavaca", "Ancestral", "Spin", "Zincali", "Apsara", and "Frankincense & Myrrh".

An amazing bit of music – and an incredible document of generations of creative jazz energy as well! The legendary Phil Cohran teams up here with Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – a collective made up of Cohran's sons, who follow strongly in the rich legacy of his own Artistic Heritage group – yet in a very different way! Hypnotic Brass have caught the ear of many during their bright rise to fame – with a fluid, horn-heavy groove that's really amazing – echoes of Sun Ra and other Chicago creative legends – yet played almost entirely on brass instruments, which gives them an even bolder vibe. Here, working with their progenitor brings the group even more depth than before – an excellent sound that really spins things out wonderfully – percussion layered underneath the horns, solos taking jazzy flight, and an overall righteous vibe that holds things together beautifully. The album's way more than the sum of its parts – and those parts are already rich indeed – and titles include "Stateville", "Cuernavaca", "Ancestral", "Spin", "Zincali", "Apsara", and "Frankincense & Myrrh".

A brilliant tribute to the late Malcolm X – served up by Chicago's legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble! The record's got an even farther-reaching sound than the group's self-titled effort – a flowing style that unfolds as their tribute to Malcolm rolls on – starting spare and earthy at first, then picking up a fuller, prouder, much more righteous groove as things really get going! As before, there's plenty of heavy percussion at the bottom of most tracks – topped by complicated horn passages that often verge on the exotic – and which have a tremendously captivating sound. The ensemble's led by the great Phil Cohran, who played with Sun Ra for a bit, and also plays cornet on the record – the rest of the group includes Charles Williams, Don Myrick, Louis Satterfield, Pete Cosey, Henry Gibson, Willie Woods, and Aaron Dodd – a lineup of players who also worked with Sun Ra, The Pharoahs, and Earth Wind & Fire! The LP's a suite of 4 tracks dedicated to Malcolm X, each capturing a period of his life, "Malcolm Little", "Detroit Red", "Malcolm X", and "El Hajj Malik El Shabazz".

Amazing work from the legendary Phil Cohran – and a much-needed collection of his rare singles on the Zulu label! The work here is contemporary to the sides issued by Phil's Artistic Heritage Ensemble on their two famous records – but the sound is often a bit tighter, and funkier too – kind of the 45 distillation of sounds the group was working out in larger format on the full albums! As with those classics, the approach is amazing – a hip blend of jazz, soul, and African elements – very much in the spirit of Sun Ra, Cohran's predecessor on the Chicago scene – but often with a lot more groove, and a lot less avant garde elements. Players on the set include Charles Williams on alto, Don Myrick on baritone, Charles Handy on trumpet, Louis Satterfield on bass, Pete Cosey on guitar, and Henry Gibson on timbales and conga – all working at a level that easily rivals the best from Ra, Salah Ragab, Mulatu, and other space jazz legends from the time! Titles include "The African Look", "Loud Mouth", "New Frankiphone Blues", "Frankiphone Blues", "Detroit Red", "El Hajj Malik El Shabazz", and "Black Beauty".

Rare funk from the New Orleans scene of the late 70s – work by an obscure combo with a great ear for the dancefloor! The overall sound is much more like music coming from Chicago, Detroit, or New York at the time – a post-Earth Wind & Fire style of funk that's got lots of tight ensemble grooving and vocals, on rhythms that are equally balanced between boogie and disco! Despite the obscure nature of the record, it's got a wonderfully professional feel – all top-shelf all the way through, like something that could have been issued on Columbia Records during the same stretch – with a warmly jazzy undercurrent that makes for a much greater depth than you might expect! Instrumentation includes great keyboards and bits of horns/ Titles include "I Don't Know Why", "Dr Music", "For The Love Of Disco", "There Must Be An Answer", "We Are Somebody", "Nowhere To Run", and "All We Have Is A Song". This Japanese CD edition also includes 3 more previously unreleased tracks: the 1975 recording of "I Don't Know Why", plus "Make A Change" and a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" from that same year – and "Our Love's Gone By" and the 1975 version of "There Must Be An Answer", both previously released on rare 45s.

One of the most spiritual albums to come from the young AACM movement in Chicago – a session that's somewhat equal in expression to some of the best post-Coltrane work on Impulse Records! Maurice McIntyre plays here with a sound that's already fully formed – an approach to the tenor that's as searingly human as that of Pharoah Sanders or Albert Ayler – but which is also played with a sharpness at times that recalls a young Marion Brown. The rest of the group is equally well-matched – a tremendous array of talent from the Chicago scene, with Malachi Favors on bass, Thurman Barker and Ajaramu on drums, Leo Smith on trumpet and flugelhorn, John Stubblefield on soprano sax, and Amina Claudine Myers on piano. George Hines vocalizes a bit on a few tracks – singing in a spiritual tone that's somewhat like Leon Thomas, but much freer and more abstract – and the album beautifully balances shorter musical statements with a fuller suite on side two – showing the deeper, more ambitious expressions that were starting to well up in the AACM. Titles include the tremendous "Humility In The Light Of Creator", plus "Hexagon", "Kcab Emoh", "Pluto Calling", "Life Force", and "Suite – Ensemble Fate". CD also features a bonus version of the title track!

A brilliant portrait of the mid 70s NYC improvisation scene by the Music Ensemble – a collective featuring Billy Bang on violin, William Parker on bass, Roger Baird on drums, percussion and flute, Malik Baraka on trumpet and Daniel Carter tenor, alto, flute and percussion! The pieces generally start with a roomy, measured dynamic and grow in intensity, never really getting too intense, and showcasing the intuitive interplay with the players. As Chicago residents, we can really feel the genesis of the later sounds of this city's improv scene, but the style casts a pretty wide net of influence. Baird's archival tapes supplied the material for this CD, and the tracks includes 2 long pieces – the 31+ minute "Stance Dance (Courage)" recorded in April of 1974 at Kingsborough College in Brooklyn with bass by Herb Kahn, and the 18+ minute "Arithmetical Mystic" from a February 1975 date at NYC's Holy Name School Auditorium. The other pieces, "Echoes Wind Transpire" and "Radiatory Fineness", a from the February '75 date.

The long-awaited return of The Pyramids – easily one of the hippest spiritual jazz ensembles of the 70s! This new recording has all the earthy brilliance of the group's classics – with leadership from reedman Idris Ackamoor, who's continued a dedication to righteous sounds on his own during the past few decades – which means he's hardly coming out of retirement here, just re-focusing his ongoing energy towards the classic Pyramids sound! Instrumentation is heavy on percussion and organic elements – and the tunes do a great job of blending freewheeling performance with more focused grooves – an Afro-avant mode that really lives up to the group's legacy, carried off here by players who include Kenneth Nash on drums and percussion, Kimathi Asante on bass, Kash Killion on bass and cello, Bradie Speller on congas and electronics. Titles include "Memory Ritual", "Time Capsule", "What The World Needs Now", "Nebulosity", "Otherworldly", "Boundless Eternities", "Cloud Rider", "Uttering Sacred Words", and "They Came From Chicago".

A killer batch of modern spiritual soul jazz – with a classic sound that reminds us a lot of the 70s work on labels like Tribe or Strata East! The New Composers Ensemble is led by vibist Paris Smith, an underground Chicago jazz artist who cut a few very enigmatic albums on his own – and he's working here with a group that includes guitar, piano, percussion, and bass. All the tracks on the CD are originals written by the players on the record – and most of them are strong modal grooves, with a spiraling strident sound that's filled with joy and life, but also a hint of darkness. The interplay of the instruments is unlike anything we've heard elsewhere, and it's the kind of underground treasure that you'd die to find on a rare 70s album – somehow even cooler that it's cut by an obscure group who are working in our generation! A few tracks have a vocalist that's a bit off-beat – and she also reminds us of some of the more spiritual contraltos that would show up on the Strata sets from the 70s – but her contribution to the record also kind of grows on you nicely after a while. Titles include "Tommy Tones", "Sonny's Song", "Lilith Came", "Introspection", "Psalm 37", and "53rd Street Ghost", dedicated to the street where Dusty Groove used to have its headquarters!

A tight little ensemble soul group from Chicago – with an approach that's clearly influenced by Earth, Wind, & Fire, although the group also seems to be trying for more of a pop easy soul sound at times. Funky 45 artists Lonell Dantzler is on keyboards and Finis Henderson on vocals – and although most of the cuts on the album aren't that great, the record does include the excellent "City", a strident groover with a wonderful harmony hook that keeps going long after the track is over! Other cuts include "This Life", "Growin Stronger", and "Roots/Many Rains Ago".

A glorious batch of unearthed soul and funk from the early 70s central Ohio scene – the storming singles of Prix label – culled from ultra rare 45s plus previous unreleased gems! Prix was the imprint started to release work captured at Columbus's Harmonic Sounds studios commercially – pummeling funk, uptempo harmony soul, some heavy organ groovers and beyond – work by the Royal Esquires, Eddie Ray, Joe King, Marion Black and others. Most of the tracks were cut in the first few years of the 70s – at a time when when central Ohio was producing soul and funk as mighty as the bigger midwestern cities of Detroit, Memphis and Chicago – standing just as tall even if it didn't get over as well in the marketplace! Some tracks were issued as Prix 45s in the early 70s, and others were never officially released – culled from finished masters, demos and other studio material that was only recently discovered! Titles include "Wait A Minute", "You Got Me" and more by Eddie Ray, "Mystic" and "Mister Kidneys" by OFS Unlimited, "Speak On Up" and "Your My Everything" by Joe King, "Ain't Gonna Run" by Royal Esquires, "Listen Black Brother" by Marion Black, "Melon Jelly" by Soul Ensemble, "I'm Gonna Gitcha" by Chip Willis & Double Exposure and more. LP has 2 bonus cuts – 21 tracks in all!

One of the grooviest compilations we've ever seen – a collection of work by American expatriates living in Israel at the end of the 70s – a hip blend of US funk and Hebrew spirituality! Most of the work here sounds like the best spiritual funk of the 70s – very much in an Earth Wind & Fire tradition of joy, love, and life – played in righteous ensemble mode with a good deal of jazz in the instrumentation alongside funkier rhythms on the bottom! The artists on the set originally hailed from Chicago and Detroit – and there's still strong influence from those scenes, particularly the early 70s sound of the Windy City. If you dig The Pharaohs and Pieces Of Peace, you'll find plenty here to love – and as usual with Numero Records, the whole thing comes with an amazing booklet of notes – the full story of this unique musical diaspora, supported with some great images as well. Titles include "Go To Proclaim", "Equilibrium", "Prince Of Zeal", "Junky Baby", and "Savior In The East" by Soul Messengers; "Holding On" and "Dimona" by Tonistics; "Daniel", "Burn Devil Burn", and "A Place To Be" by Spirit Of Israel & Soul Messengers; and "Hey There" and "Modernization" by Sons Of The Kingdom.

One of the grooviest compilations we've ever seen – a collection of work by American expatriates living in Israel at the end of the 70s – a hip blend of US funk and Hebrew spirituality! Most of the work here sounds like the best spiritual funk of the 70s – very much in an Earth Wind & Fire tradition of joy, love, and life – played in righteous ensemble mode with a good deal of jazz in the instrumentation alongside funkier rhythms on the bottom! The artists on the set originally hailed from Chicago and Detroit – and there's still strong influence from those scenes, particularly the early 70s sound of the Windy City. If you dig The Pharaohs and Pieces Of Peace, you'll find plenty here to love – and as usual with Numero Records, the whole thing comes with an amazing booklet of notes – the full story of this unique musical diaspora, supported with some great images as well. Titles include "Go To Proclaim", "Equilibrium", "Prince Of Zeal", "Junky Baby", and "Savior In The East" by Soul Messengers; "Holding On" and "Dimona" by Tonistics; "Daniel", "Burn Devil Burn", and "A Place To Be" by Spirit Of Israel & Soul Messengers; and "Hey There" and "Modernization" by Sons Of The Kingdom.

A brilliant tribute to the late Malcolm X – served up by Chicago's legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble! The record's got an even farther-reaching sound than the group's self-titled effort – a flowing style that unfolds as their tribute to Malcolm rolls on – starting spare and earthy at first, then picking up a fuller, prouder, much more righteous groove as things really get going! As before, there's plenty of heavy percussion at the bottom of most tracks – topped by complicated horn passages that often verge on the exotic – and which have a tremendously captivating sound. The ensemble's led by the great Phil Cohran, who played with Sun Ra for a bit, and also plays cornet on the record – the rest of the group includes Charles Williams, Don Myrick, Louis Satterfield, Pete Cosey, Henry Gibson, Willie Woods, and Aaron Dodd – a lineup of players who also worked with Sun Ra, The Pharoahs, and Earth Wind & Fire! The LP's a suite of 4 tracks dedicated to Malcolm X, each capturing a period of his life, "Malcolm Little", "Detroit Red", "Malcolm X", and "El Hajj Malik El Shabazz".

Mindblowing – and a landmark recording that crosses all boundaries in the Chicago music scene of the late 60s! Philip Cohran was a visionary musician who'd played with Sun Ra during the 60s, but who left Ra to forge his own musical vision by the middle part of the decade. The Artistic Heritage ensemble was a crucially important group in Chicago – one that drew players from both the soul and jazz scenes, with a wealth of talents that later went onto work with groups like Earth Wind & Fire, The Pharoahs, Ra's Arkestra, and other ensembles. Talents on this set alone include players like Charles Handy, Don Myrick, Aaron Dodd, Henry Gibson, and Louis Satterfield – not to mention Cohran, who plays cornet (as he did with Sun Ra), plus two groovy instruments of his own invention: the violin uke and the great Frankiphone, a sort of electric thumb piano whose use on these recordings pre-dated the very famous Kalimba sound that Earth Wind & Fire would use to great success during the 70s. The album includes the driving conga funk track "Unity", the singing soulful track "The Minstrel", the incredibly haunting "On The Beach", and the track "Motherhood", which has a strong Abbey Lincoln type of feel. The whole thing's a beautiful batch of spiritual jazzy tracks with a good groove – and a perfect blend of soul and spirit, jazz and righteousness! Beautifully packaged, too!

A killer set from Adegoke Steve Colson – easily some of the most spiritual music he ever recorded, and a standout gem in the second wave of Chicago's AACM! Colson's the pianist in the group, leading an ensemble in sounds that stretch from the open spirituality of the Strata East scene from earlier in the 70s, to some of the more free-thinking moments put forth by the AACM – particularly in the way the melody interacts with the rhythms. In addition to Steve's piano and flute, the set features key vocals from Iqua Colson, plus flute and tenor from Wallace McMillian, sopranino sax and bass clarinet from Douglas Ewart, more reeds from Joseph Jarman, bass from Reggie Willis, and percussion from Dushun Mosley. Overall, tracks have kind of a free, loft jazz sort of approach, but the album kicks off with one really great groover – the jazzy scatting track "Lateen", which features great vocals by Iqua, and kind of a modal dancing approach that's really great! Other titles include "For Paul", "Temple At Dendera", "Triumph Of The Outcasts, Coming", and "Unknown".

One of the hippest records ever to come out of Chicago – the sole recording by Boscoe, a group who was even more obscure and experimental than contemporaries like The Pharoahs or Artistic Heritage Ensemble! Like those groups, Boscoe has a very unique, very visionary approach – one that's not content just to echo the standard post-Coltrane modes that other spiritual jazz groups around the country were hitting – but which instead moves into territory that touches on the darker sides of funk, soul, and spoken word of the time – all with a message that's incredibly powerful, and conception that's wonderfully fresh throughout! The group's lineup features tenor, trumpet, trombone, guitar, bass, and drums – but they way they're put together is often far different than other funky combos – and it's clear that the group had as much of a sensibility about the overall sound of their record as they did their freer grooves. At times, there's a righteousness here that recalls the best of the early Westbound Records scene from Detroit – but there's an even higher agenda too, which is more in keeping with the spiritual aspriations of their Chicago contemporaries, and which really show up in the lyrics. The whole album's a masterpiece from start to finish – unlike anything that we can think of, still ripe for rediscovery today, and just the kind of set that makes us prouder than ever of our Chicago heritage! Titles include "We Ain't Free", "Money Won't Save You", "Now and Den", "He Keeps You", "I'm What You Need", and "Writin' On The Wall".

The genius of the Chicago collective scene is firmly back in action – on this stunning second CD from Nicole Mitchell! The record is incredible – light years ahead of her debut, and a rich tapestry of sounds and colors performed by a large group that features some of the best underground musicians in the city's soulful avant scene. From the first moment of the set, the music grabs you with the depth and intensity of some of the best work of the 70s Strata East era – and it stands proudly in a tradition of work that includes the collective projects of the AACM, and groups like the Sun Ra Arkestra and Artistic Heritage Ensemble. Mitchell's writing is wonderful – stretching out on a Coltrane-like journey of discovery and spiritual expression – and her playing on the set is interwoven with some beautifully vocalized passages. Titles include "Afrika Rising Trilogy", "Peaceful Village Town", "Emerging Light", "Bluerise", "Goldmind", and "Wheatgrass".

A richly ambitious work from flautist Nicole Mitchell – an artist who gets better and better with each new album, expanding her vision and growing into a role that clearly makes her one of the most important next-generation members of Chicago's AACM! The album's a suite of tracks for Nicole's expanded Black Earth Ensemble – a group made up of a variety of players from the Chicago scene, augmented by vocals on a number of tracks – for a richly spiritual sound that takes us back to the most ambitious soul jazz recordings of the 70s. There's a wonderful interplay here between gentle moments and bolder statements – and Mitchell's flute and vocals are supported by strong sax work from David Boykin, as well as other instrumentation that includes trumpet, cello, violin, trombone, bass, and the usual wide range of percussion and added instruments you'd expect from an AACM session like this! Titles include "Time For Change", "Wondrous Birth", "Curbside Fantasee", "In The Garden", "Skating", "For Daughters Of Young Love", "Wanna Make You Smile", and "Future's Meditation".

A pretty wonderful set of tracks led by guitarist Jeff Parker, one of the most enormously talented, and one of the busiest guys in Chicago! Jeff spends time working with a number of avant garde jazz and rock combos like the Chicago Underground Quartet, Aesop Quartet, New Horizons Ensemble and Tortoise – but steps into a pretty straight up bop-learned jazz mode for his first full length as leader. He's leading a trio with Chad Taylor on drums and some light guitar, and Chris Lopes on bass and a little flute. Parker's sprays warm, fluid guitar lines throughout that really light the thing up. It's really warmly captured by producer John McEntire, too. Tracks include "Like-Coping", "Miriam", "Days Fly By", "Holiday For A Despot", "Omega Sci Fi", "Roundabout" and more.

A legendary album from Chicago – recorded by a group with ties to Sun Ra, Phil Cohran, and Earth Wind & Fire! The set's got a sound that more than lives up to all those references – a vibe that's jazzy and soulful, yet often quite righteous too – imbued with the sort of spirit you'd guess from the group's name and the album's cover image – but often served up with a tight enough groove to make the set a favorite for fans of funk as well! There's a really special mix going on here – and unlike other ensembles of the time, The Pharoahs never go too far out – and instead really have the great sort of focus you'd hear even more strongly with Earth Wind & Fire. The lineup features Louis Satterfield on bass, Willie Woods on trombone, Don Myrick on saxes, Black Herman on drums, and Derf Reklaw on percussion and flute – and titles include "Ibo", "Somebody's Been Sleeping", "Damballa", "Freedom Road", "Great House", and "Black Enuff".

A rare and beautiful treasure from Chicago's Phil Cohran and his legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble – material recorded at the end of the 60s, but only issued here for the first time ever! The sound on the record is amazing – much deeper, and more forceful than anything else we've ever heard from Cohran – almost in Sun Ra Arkestra territory at times, given the group's out-there playing, and bold collective action! The lineup is similar to other Cohran recordings from the time – Phil on cornet, Henry Gibson on congas, Pete Cosey on guitar, Louis Satterfield on bass, Charles Williams on alto, Don Myrick on tenor, Charles Handy on trumpet, Willie Woods on trombone, and Aaron Dodd on tuba – a group that's a wonderful bridge between the two important Chicago generations headed by Sun Ra and Earth Wind & Fire. Armageddon is an extended piece, divided up into five different musical acts – conceived by Cohran in the late 50s, and recorded here in 1968 – with some great help from The Spencer Jackson Family on the leadoff track "Motherless Child". Other titles include "Creation Of The Beast", "The Warning", "The Window", and "Armageddon" – a clear reference to the power of the atom bomb!

The amazing full length debut of Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – a cool combo from the Chicago scene who've been making some big waves around the world over the past few years! The brass-heavy group have a family legacy that links them to the Artistic Heritage Ensemble of Phil Cohran – and an approach to their music that mixes spiritual jazz, deep funk, and elements of New Orleans music too – a really unique style that has earned the group's rare singles some tremendous praise – and which is finally ready to step out fully in this wonderful album! The horns are even harder and heavier than before – honed through some touring around the globe, and brought into focus here beautifully – bristling with energy from the very first note. The set features guest appearances from Malcolm Catto, Tony Allen, Flea, and Damon Albarn – but the real strength of the record lies in the group's amazing horns and rhythms – on titles that include "War", "Gibbous", "Alyo", "Ballicki Bone", "Jupiter", "Marcus Garvey", "Party Started", "Sankofa", "Satin Sheets", "Hypnotic", and 2 versions of "Rabbit Hop".

The long-awaited return of The Pyramids – easily one of the hippest spiritual jazz ensembles of the 70s! This new recording has all the earthy brilliance of the group's classics – with leadership from reedman Idris Ackamoor, who's continued a dedication to righteous sounds on his own during the past few decades – which means he's hardly coming out of retirement here, just re-focusing his ongoing energy towards the classic Pyramids sound! Instrumentation is heavy on percussion and organic elements – and the tunes do a great job of blending freewheeling performance with more focused grooves – an Afro-avant mode that really lives up to the group's legacy, carried off here by players who include Kenneth Nash on drums and percussion, Kimathi Asante on bass, Kash Killion on bass and cello, Bradie Speller on congas and electronics. Titles include "Memory Ritual", "Time Capsule", "What The World Needs Now", "Nebulosity", "Otherworldly", "Boundless Eternities", "Cloud Rider", "Uttering Sacred Words", and "They Came From Chicago".

Pure genius from The Revolutionary Ensemble – and one of the records that really helped set the stage for the New York loft jazz sound of the 70s! The lineup is quite unique – percussion from Jerome Cooper, violin from Leroy Jenkins, and bass from Sirone – a much more subtle lineup of instruments than you'd hear on previous avant sides from ESP – with a resultantly different sound as well – one that's got more subtle colors and tones, and a slow-building, organic approach to improvisation that definitely shows an influence from the experiments of the AACM in Chicago. The album features one long track – "Vietnam (parts 1 & 2)" – but it's got a heck of a lot of variety over its nearly 50 minutes of music!

Brilliant work from composer/arranger/creator Joshua Abrams – one of the most creative figures to come out of the Chicago scene in the past couple decades – no hyperbole necessary! On Represencing he's largely working with the guimbri – the North African traditional string instrument – as well organ, harps, bells and more. The guimbri gives the record an earthy, traditional base, but the incredible ensemble and all around creative spirit at play gives this such and incredible spirit! It's among his best records to date – and the players include Chad Taylor on drums and gong, Nicole Mitchell on flute, Michael Zerang on tambourine, Jeff Parker and Emmett Kelly on guitars, Tomeka Reid on cello, David Boykin on tenor sax, Jason Stein on bass clarinet and others. Titles include "San Anto", "Reprehensing", "Moon Hunger", "Sound Talisman", "Sungazer", "The BA", "Enter Mountain Amulet" and "Cloud Walking".

A treasure trove of spiritual jazz from saxophonist Idris Ackamoor – featuring his famous 70s recordings with The Pyramids, solo material, and even some previously unissued titles! The bulk of the collection comes from The Pyramids' albums Birth Speed Merging, Lalibela, and King Of Kings – all freely creative records that build upon traditions initiated by the AACM in Chicago, and taken further groups like The Artistic Heritage Ensemble, The Human Arts Ensemble, or Oneness Of Juju. Many tracks build freely from earthy percussion, bits of vocals, and spiraling solos on saxes and flute – with a sound that's incredibly soulful and righteous – very positive and progressive, and easily some of the best work of this nature from the time! 2CD set features Pyramids tracks "The Land Of Eternal Song (part 3)", "Mohgo Naba", "Queen Of The Spirits (part 3)", "Black Man Of The Nile", "Aomawa", "The River Ganges", and "Masenko Nights" – plus "Spiritual Rebirth", "Centurian", "Topanga", "Cubana", and "Africa" by Idris Ackamoor; as well as "The Shepherd's Tune" by The Collective.

One of the most beautiful records we've ever heard from the legendary Phil Cohran – a previously-unissued performance from 1993, and one that's every bit as wonderful as his rare albums of the late 60s! The set was recorded at the planetarium in Chicago – and for the date, Cohran comes up with a really cosmic sound – a small combo that's heavy on string sounds from guitar, bass, and harp – layered together beautifully to create these Alice Coltrane-like undercurrents – over which the group solos with flute, trumpet, and trombone! There's less players here than on some of Cohran's older Artistic Heritage Ensemble sets, but the sound is exactly like those records – right down to some key moments in which Phil plays his amazing Frankiphone – an electrified kalimba with a tremendous tone. Titles include "White Nile", "Cohran Blues", "The Dogon", "Sahara", "Kalahari", and "Kilimanjaro".

The amazing full length debut of Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – a cool combo from the Chicago scene who've been making some big waves around the world over the past few years! The brass-heavy group have a family legacy that links them to the Artistic Heritage Ensemble of Phil Cohran – and an approach to their music that mixes spiritual jazz, deep funk, and elements of New Orleans music too – a really unique style that has earned the group's rare singles some tremendous praise – and which is finally ready to step out fully in this wonderful album! The horns are even harder and heavier than before – honed through some touring around the globe, and brought into focus here beautifully – bristling with energy from the very first note. The set features guest appearances from Malcolm Catto, Tony Allen, Flea, and Damon Albarn – but the real strength of the record lies in the group's amazing horns and rhythms – on titles that include "War", "Gibbous", "Alyo", "Ballicki Bone", "Jupiter", "Marcus Garvey", "Party Started", "Sankofa", "Satin Sheets", "Hypnotic", and 2 versions of "Rabbit Hop".

A killer set from Adegoke Steve Colson – easily some of the most spiritual music he ever recorded, and a standout gem in the second wave of Chicago's AACM! Colson's the pianist in the group, leading an ensemble in sounds that stretch from the open spirituality of the Strata East scene from earlier in the 70s, to some of the more free-thinking moments put forth by the AACM – particularly in the way the melody interacts with the rhythms. In addition to Steve's piano and flute, the set features key vocals from Iqua Colson, plus flute and tenor from Wallace McMillian, sopranino sax and bass clarinet from Douglas Ewart, more reeds from Joseph Jarman, bass from Reggie Willis, and percussion from Dushun Mosley. Overall, tracks have kind of a free, loft jazz sort of approach, but the album kicks off with one really great groover – the jazzy scatting track "Lateen", which features great vocals by Iqua, and kind of a modal dancing approach that's really great! Other titles include "For Paul", "Temple At Dendera", "Triumph Of The Outcasts, Coming", and "Unknown".

A sweet little album from Johnny – quite different than most of his other sessions at the time, as this one features a big band – a "Big Soul Band", as the title says – filled with some strong Chicago and soul jazz players, and featuring killer arrangements by the great Norman Simmons! Simmons' was just bubbling up at the time – and he had a sock soul jazz sound that was part of his time on the Chicago scene, and which, unfortunately, rarely achieved as strong of recorded expression as it did on this album. Griffin's a heck of a great player, even at this age, and the strength of his horn sits nicely in the front of a great ensemble that also includes Pat Patrick, Matthew Gee, Julian Priester, Frank Strozier, Bobby Timmons, Harold Mabern, Vic Sproles, and Charlie Persip. Titles include a number of Simmons originals – like "Meditation", "Panic Room Blues" and "Holla" – plus a great reading of Timmons' "So Tired", and traditionals like "Deep River", "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen" and "Wade In The Water" and Junior Mance's "Jubilation".

A fantastic record from Kitty Haywood and her female vocal quartet – an ensemble that shifted easily between secular and spiritual material, and who did a lot of backing work on the Chicago scene in the 70s. The set's one of their few albums as a group – and it's a sublime batch of Chicago modern tunes produced by Gene Barge, with a sparkling Capitol Rare sort of sound. Kitty's got an approach that's a bit like Minnie Riperton at times – and Gene's production is perfect for her here, keeping most of the tracks in an unobtrusive mellow groove mode that makes the album really hold together. Includes the sublime "Mystic Stranger", plus "Sweet Taste Of Honey", "You Are The Reason", "It's Real", "You Can't Say I Didn't Try", and "Can't Wait For Your Love".

A damn funky record – way more so than you might expect from the "string" in the title! The group's kind of an answer to the Soulful Strings ensemble headed by Richard Evans for Cadet/Concept in Chicago – and like that group, it mixes up funky rhythms with some sweet large orchestrations – in a style that's almost a precursor of blacksploitation funk to come in the 70s! Paul Riser handles arrangements – very much in the same spirit of Evans – and he picks up a hip Motown groove that bridges sweeping soul and gritty funk – all played to perfection by an ensemble led by Gordon Staples, and featuring players from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra! There's lots of funky nuggets in the set – and titles include excellent originals like "Strung Out", "Toonie", and "Sounds of the Zodiac" – plus "The April Fools", "The Look Of Love", "Get Down", "If Your Love Were Mine", "Someday We'll Be Together", and "From A Heart That's True To Only You".