“The groove on this track is quite infectious. It definitely leans more on the soul-jazz-funk vibe but the lyrics talk to the spirit of brotherhood. The black social self consciousness addressed on on this song from 1975 are still happening today. Quite reminiscent of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”.”

 

Doug Carn feat Jean Carn

Revelation

 
“I absolutely love Jean Carn’s voice. There’s something about her vocal tone that seeps deeply into my pours. The thing that kills me about this and other Doug Carn productions from this period is his subtle use of the Moog synthesizer playing along the lead vocals. It creates this funky mysterious feeling. Also featured on this track is Nas’s dad Olu Dara on trumpet.”

 

Mtume

Sais

 
“Killer LP with some of the most important musicians of the spiritual Jazz movement. Buster Williams on bass, Azar Lawrence on sax and Strata East founder Stanley Cowell to name a few. The opening track pays homage to “Sais” an ancient Egyptian town located near the Nile river and praises the birth of civilization. The spoken word of Muktar Mustapha and the illustrious vocals of Dee Dee Bridgewater creates the perfect tapestry for this haunting yet celebratory performance. This LP is colossal and a must have.”

 

The Pyramids

Mogho Naba

 
“This cut is an uptempo percussive mover. Mogho Naba is a ceremony performed by the Mossi people of Burkina in West Africa. When you listen to this you can imagine people dancing around to honor the Mogho Naba King. This fits in well with a jazz dance set.”

 

E.W. Wainright Jr’s African Roots of Jazz

Imani

 
“I first learned of this while digging in Japan last year. Seems to be a rare local California community based LP. It’s definitely an incredible listen from start to finish with jazz dance moments throughout. The spiritual chorus vocals and vibraphone makes this one special.”