#4182: Spiritual Jazz, Old and New

Hear music that draws on music of Africa, India, and ancient Egyptian mythology by drummer and producer Makaya McCraven, percussionist Sarathy Korwar, and London-based Maisha, led by drummer Jake Long. There's also music by the late pianist and harpist Alice Coltrane, intergalactic spirituality from Finnish musician Jimi Tenor and the Berlin-based ensemble Kabu Kabu, and a re-issued 1971 recording by Pharoah Sanders.

From Makaya McCraven’s brilliant 2018 album, Universal Beings, hear music culled from live sessions in Chicago and New York, along with sessions in London and Los Angeles with several super-groups of players, including harpist Brandee Younger, cellist Tomeka Reid, sax players Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings, to name a few. Makaya post-produced and recomposed the live sessions into suites (sides of an LP) of distinct works, and we’ll hear the spiritual groove meditation, “Holy Lands,” featuring Brandee Younger, vibes player Joel Ross, bassist Dezron Douglas, and cellist Tomeka Reid – as led and re-composed by Makaya McCraven.

Then, listen to music from US-born, India-raised, London-based drummer and tabla player Sarathy Korwar together with the Upaj Collective, recorded at Church of Sound in London. “Upaj” is the Hindi word for impromptu – for when you’ve learned the rules, internalized the scales, learned the techniques and are able to flow freely in improvisation. Listen to “Hajj,” an arrangement of music by South African pianist and composer Abdullah Ibrahim, which combines East Indian music, jazz, and electronics. There’s also music by Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda, from a compilation of private recordings made in the 1970s of her hybrid of Hindu chants and Detroit roots music.

Also, listen to music by Pharoah Sanders, who was part of John Coltrane’s post- A Love Supreme band. One of the original movers of the “spiritual jazz” world, Sanders was exploring an Afro-centric form of jazz with Egyptian imagery. Hear the title track of his 1971 record, “Thembi” – also the name of his son. There’s also a work drawing on Egyptian mythology by the London-based six piece band called Maisha (led by drummer Jake Long.) On this tune, “Osiris” (god of the underworld), there seems to be shared DNA with Pharoah Sanders’ “The Creator Has a Master Plan.” 

Plus, listen to music which has jazz and Afrobeat leanings, and is informed by both Pharoah Sanders and Sun Ra from Finnish musician Jimi Tenor and the Berlin-based ensemble Kabu Kabu.  -Caryn Havlik

Program #4182: spiritual jazz, old and new (First aired 12/07/2018)

ARTIST: Pharoah Sanders
WORK: Thembi [1:00]
RECORDING: Thembi
SOURCE: Reissued by Impulse! Records
INFO: https://ume.lnk.to/ThembiPR

ARTIST: Sarathy Korwar feat. Upaj Collective
WORK: Abdullah Ibrahim: Hajj [12:16]
RECORDING: My East Is Your West
SOURCE/INFO: sarathykorwar.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Makaya McCraven
WORK: Holy Lands [5:15]
RECORDING: Universal Beings
SOURCE: International Anthem
INFO: intlanthem.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda
WORK: Hari Narayan [4:39]
RECORDING: World Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangi
SOURCE: Luaka Bop
INFO: alicecoltrane.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Pharoah Sanders
WORK: Thembi [7:03]
RECORDING: Thembi
SOURCE: Reissued by Impulse! Records
INFO: https://ume.lnk.to/ThembiPR

ARTIST: Jimi Tenor
WORK: Suite Meets [4:08]
RECORDING: Mystery of Aether
SOURCE: Light in the Attic / Kindred Spirits KS038LP
INFO: lightintheattic.net

ARTIST: Maisha
WORK: Osiris [11:49]
RECORDING: There is a Place
SOURCE/INFO: maisha.bandcamp.com