BFTP Vol 283: Khan Jamal Creative Arts Ensemble ‘Inner Peace’ 1973
Blast From The Past Volume 283
Khan Jamal Creative Arts Ensemble
‘Inner Peace’
1973
Originally released on Byard Lancaster’s imprint Dogtown Records and reissued with Eremite Records.
The Khan Jamal Creative Arts Ensemble was a collection of obscure and lesser known musicians in the ongoing east coast loft jazz movement of the 60′s and 70′s. Khan Jamal had been recording all over during the 60′s and released his own outing in the early 70′s with the reverb dub influenced free jazz album Drumdance to the Motherland. Recorded in 1972 and released in 1973, the album is filled with a sound very akin to the early 60′s masterpiece from Sun Ra, The Magic City.
Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and the Arkestra have a lot in common in this LP Drumdance of the Motherland and we choose the piece ‘Inner Peace’ as we feel it best conveys the sonic voyage and potency of the albums listen. Guitarist Monnette Sudler from this session and many other pivotal Philadephia free jazz 70′s recordings is phenomenal on this song and her tone carries resemblance to a lot of new guitar players out right now diving into experimental modes of sound. If you can find a copy of this album, don’t hesitate to pick it up. – Erik Otis
Order the reissue from Eremite Records
From Eremite Records: There’s not another record on the planet that sounds even remotely like vibraphonist khan jamal’s eccentric, one-of-a-kind masterpiece, drumdance to the motherland. in its improbable fusion of free jazz expressionism, black psychedelia, & full-on dub-like production techniques, drumdance remains a bracingly powerful outsider statement thirty-four years after it was recorded live at the catacombs club in philadelphia in 1972. comparisons to sun ra, king tubby, phil cohran & byg/actuel merely hint at the cosmic otherness conjured by the band & by recording engineer mario falana’s real-time “enhancements.”
Khan Jamal: vibraphone, marimba, clarinet
Alex Ellison: drums, percussion
Dwight James: drums, glockenspiel, clarinet
Billy Mills: fender bass, double bass
Monnette Sudler: guitar, percussion
Photo courtesy of Porter Records
