Jan Garberak - Beast of Kommodo & Afric Pepperbird

Beast of Kommodo

Afric Pepperbird

An early release for the Norwegian saxophonist on his home label, the mega-jazz fortress ECM. "Afric Pepperbird" was released in 1971 and at this point in history ECM had not yet slipped into the slick, polished, and atmospheric gloss that tends to be the sound of most of their contemporary releases. Terje Rypdal, who released several Miles fusion influenced records in the early to mid 70s along with Jon Christensen stand as a testament to the period when ECM had the jazz balls to release raw music. The icy Norwegian sound that established Garberak as a saxophone stylist is not present on these early recordings. Instead, Coltrane's influence, which most young saxophonist echo, is greatly heard on both this recording and "Sart," the Quartet's other album released in the same year. The unappreciated bassist Arlid Andersen sounds like a funky tractor or something - meaty, greasy, yet magnificently smooth. He lays down dirty lines that would make even David Sanborn crack his neck and Rza tweek.

Chick Corea Killin' It

"Spiritual" Music pt. 1

Part 2

Yatha Sidhra - Meditation Mass (1972)























Spiritual Blessing

Pharoah Sanders - Elevation (1973)



















Spark from the Infinite (Part 2)

Terry Riley - No Man's Land (1985)
























Gol-e Gandom

Lloyd Miller - Oriental Jazz (1965)


"Spiritual" is used here in the loosest sense. Although, for many people spiritual music simply means recording flutes, tablas, sarods and dangling bells. I don't see how those instruments are in anyway spiritual, if we mean spiritual beyond the fashionable Westernized fast-food version of spiritual, as meaning Oriental. But for this post, that's exactly what I aim for.

Ikenga Superstars of Africa - Greedy Man

Greedy Man

Led by Vincent Okoroego, the Ikengas were a fairly popular "highlife guitar" group from Nigeria. Like many African groups in the 70s and 80s, they created upbeat, bouncy music to enliven the spirits of attracted customers at market stalls throughout Nigeria - Africa's form of market commercialism. Broken and "pidgin" English sharply cut into the groove and the soft, smooth Congolian guitar rift sounds like the source of Paul Simon's imperialistic replication of African music during the 80s.

MPB pt. 1

Nega





















Farinha Do Desprezo
























Toc

Letta Mbulu - Mahlalela & Melodi

Mahlalela
Melodi

From her 1970 release, "Letta"
White people, cleanse yourselves in the waters of primordial neck-crackin music

Pharoah Sanders - Pharoah

Harvest Time

Pharoah Sanders 1977 album released on the obscure label, India Navigation is by far his rarest and perhaps most beautiful album. "Harvest Time" fills up the first side of the record and contains some of Sanders most lyrical and forward tenor sax playing. Bathing in the atmosphere of lush chords from Tisziji Munoz's echoing electric guitar, Pharoah arises from the waters and glides on top of Munoz's motifs, caressing the majestic soundspace with lovely interpentrating soliloquies that bounce back and forth with bassist Steve Neil (sounding like Dave Holland) to then travel off into the cosmos to make love with some funky godhead residing inbetween Sirius and Torgious.