USA, 1972, spiritual jazz
Mtume Umoja Ensemble – Alkebu-Lan: Land of the Blacks – Live at the East: This excellent, raw, and honest recording eases the listener into the world of jazz (strike that) black music (strike that) music so intimately connected to contemporary circumstances that it cannot be understood apart from its context of a consciousness that strives, endures, and overcomes. And then the gloves come off, the free jazz elements gut-punching you, doubling you over only to raise you back again on the wonderful, mellow, melodic interplay of the instruments… another sucker punch! Moans, groans, cries, shrieks all beautifully falling all over the place, the piano barely keeping things together.
Museum Musica 