Way more than just a random jazz compilation – and instead a set that comes with a hefty book about the Boston jazz underground in the 70s – almost 80 pages in length, complete with images
of records, vintage photos, and lots
of notes on this under-documented scene! And while Boston's always been something
of a hotbed
of jazz activity – thanks to the younger students who hit the city to study at Berklee and other schools – this material represents a much deeper, more spiritual current
of jazz – work that's in the same territory
of the AACM or loft jazz scenes
of the period, but also with a current
of freewheeling electric material too! At this price, the whole thing would already be great as a collection
of rare spiritual jazz, but with the book and overall package it's a hell
of a deal – packed with musical goodness on cuts that include "Sketch (parts 1 & 2)" and "Road Through The Wall (parts 2 & 3)" by Thing, "For Margot" and "Tarot The Moon" by Mark Harvey Group, "The Creator Is So Far Out" and "Egypt" by Phil Musra Group, "9 Degrees Black Women Liberation" by Worlds, "
Year Of The
Ear Herds & Hoards" by
Baird Hersey with Dave Liebman, and "Play Sleep" by Stanton Davis' Ghetto Mysticism.