Various Artists - Spiritual Jazz Vol. 13: NOW! (Jazzman)

The latest in Jazzman’s Spiritual Jazz series takes the vibrational pulse of the current era with two sets of forward-thinking excursions

John Coltrane “was not the first musician to speak of spiritual matters,” writes Val Wilmer in As Serious as Your Life, her celebrated study of free jazz, “but his example was one of the most compelling and persuasive.” Coltrane is naturally one of the foundational figures that inspired Jazzman’s Spiritual Jazz series, now on its thirteenth entry (boasting 24 tracks over two double vinyl sets). The preceding volumes offered vital historical perspectives by taking roads less travelled, unearthing rarities and shining a light on artists that may have undeservedly remained in the shadows. This culminated in last year’s deep-digging greatest hitters Impulse! collection. Volume 13 – as its “NOW!” designation suggests – takes the vibrational pulse of the current era, encompassing two decades up until the present day, and channels the deepest, most nourishing spiritual jazz around.

A spiritually rich cosmic world is ushered in early on with “An Angel Fell” by Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids. The Sun Ra equivalent of a Greek chorus narrates proceedings before an invasion of rudimentary science fiction sound effects signals an almighty head-nodding groove to kick in. It’s as unexpected as it is exhilarating. Elsewhere, John Coltrane is directly evoked in a back-to-back sequence. Innovator Steve Reid and his ensemble team up with Kieran Hebden on “For Coltrane” as they lay down an ever-shifting, brightly modernist palette, underpinned by Reid’s expressive percussion and intriguingly disrupted by Hebden’s electronics. “Trane’s Groove” by Carla Marciano may follow more closely in Coltrane’s steps through the exploration of fertile modal ground, but is no less powerful for it.

A globe-straddling summation of where spiritual jazz is at in the 21st Century would of course be incomplete without the unbeatable, forward-thinking Chicago label International Anthem. Spiritual Jazz Vol. 13 doesn’t disappoint in this regard, featuring no less than three key figures from the label: Angel Bat Dawid, Damon Locks and Makaya McCraven. “What Shall I Tell My Children Who Are Black (Dr Margaret Burroughs)” is a standout cut taken from Angel Bat Dawid’s astonishing 2019 LP The Oracle. At once operatic and as if being whispered to at the end of the world, it’s a haunting piece that cuts to the bone as Dawid’s voice becomes the entwined voices of generations. Performance art is a vital element of Damon Locks Black Monument Ensemble and the listener can almost feel the movement on “Sounds Like Now”. The poetic clarity of the words (“Every morning there’s more talk of murder”; “The power to the government never to the people”) and avant-garde gospel jazz vibes stir up deep feelings and inspire rising up. Makaya McCraven is a global collaborator who unites hip-hop and forward-leaning jazz scenes. He takes an avant-garde approach to beat-making, applying the cut-up technique to collaborative performances, resulting in seriously off-kilter breaks that are nonetheless straight up dope. “Gnawa” is no exception and as a vibrant, beat-laden outburst really defines the open-ear policy of this progressive spiritual jazz collection.

Spiritual Jazz 13: NOW! Part 1 double LP at Jazzman Records

Spiritual Jazz 13: NOW! Part 2 double LP at Jazzman Records