Walking Spirits
Here's something a little different for me, a bit if modern out jazz, courtesy of the amazing London-based Soul Jazz Records, perhaps best known for their astoundingly well put together compilations of all varieties of hot tunes (see the Studio One reggae collections, reissues of Arthur Russell, and the Dynamite funk/reggae comps for examples).
OK, so I'm no expert on Jazz, but I know a good jam when I hear one. This is one of them: a slick, deep bass-line, a perfect horn line from both the soprano and the baritone sax, little electronic flourishes, and the drums. The drums! Once the first chorus is done, around the two minute mark, and the musicians open the song up, holy crap is it good - fraught with tension, but swinging at the same time. The variations of the sax, the loosening of the bass, and the drums!
The Steve Reid Ensemble is a modern crew of musicians, lead by Reid, a truly legendary jazz drummer (just so you know, this particular Steve Reid is not the white guy with the crazy hair), and, perhaps most amazingly, he is self-taught. In a quick rundown of his history: Reid played in Sun Ra’s Arkestra, was a session musician for Motown Records, and in James Brown’s band at the Apollo. He has played for Miles Davis, Charles Tyler, Ornette Coleman, Archie Shepp, Leon Thomas, Fela Kuti and more. In the mid-60s he traveled to West Africa, playing and learning the music of Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Senegal. In 1968 as a conscientious objector to the Vietnam war he was sentenced to 4 years in prison where he then taught a Black history course to his fellow inmates.
This is serious.
Back to the Ensemble: besides Reid, this recording also features John Edwards on Bass, Chuck Henderson on Soprano Sax, Neil Kleiner on Tenor Sax and percussion, Boris Netsvetaev on Keys, Nathaniel Catchpole on Tenor Sax, Tony Bevan on Baritone Sax, and Kieran Hebden (aka Fourtet) on Electronics (Domino Records is supposedly also releasing a new Fourtet + Reid album early this next year so keep your eyes peeled for that one too). The album, titled Spirit Walk, is nine tracks of amazing modern jazz with a funky touch to it, all thanks to Reid's unwavering hand. Like I said before, I don't know all that much about jazz, but I do know when I hear something good, soulful and funky that moves me, and this is it for sure.
Buy Spirit Walk direct from Soul Jazz or from our friends at Forced Exposure or Dusty Groove. Highly Recommended.