Mahakala Music are next month on 23 July releasing Blue Reality Quartet, the work and achievement of saxist Joe McPhee and reedist/flautist Michael Marcus, just thinking about hearing Marcus with the late Sonny Simmons in the Cosmosamatics, percussionists Jay Rosen & Warren Smith (Mingus, M'Boom, Astral Weeks), McPhee is excellent recently on Winter Garden. If anything this is even better. Serene and quiet, contemplative, quite moving in places, you can really hear the extra elements of the instruments and the expression in the crafting and the way the afternotes mean something. Abstract music that has its own sense of tonality flirting with melody but with pulse and vibrational revelation even more important, 'Joe's Train' is quite Mingusian and there's a real sense of momentousness to the cumulative gathering of musical endeavour. 'Love Exists Everywhere' is streaming. Totally worth your time, you'll put this record on and be reluctant to take it off. A key vibes section (I guess it's Smith) within 'Bluer than Blue' is pretty mind-blowing in the group interplay. It all made me go off and read some Langston Hughes for no direct reason but one that proves apposite. Certainly another significant plus for that. Something ignites stirringly inside, making sense of Reality. SG
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