After doing a couple bluesy R&B jump albums with Van Morrison, Hammond-meister Joey DeFrancesco gets into a spiritual mood with soulful modal and post bop tunes. He mix and matches sax players Troy Roberts/as-ts-ss (who also plays bass) and the iconic Pharoah Sanders as well as drummer Billy Hart and percussionist Sammy Figueroa, depending on the need and atmosphere.
The classic meditation “The Creator Has a Master Plan” is a mystical drone with Sanders on a rich tenor sax and even throwing in some kodakol vocal percussion while his tenor is rich and relaxed with subliminal passion as it teams with DeFrancesco’s muted trumpet during “And So It Is” . Figueroa adds temple-like chimes as an intro here, and tapping a ceremonial gong as bookends to the modal title track, with Hart creating a gorgeous cadence throughout. DeFrancesco creates sitar-like tones on the meditative “Vibrations In Blue” and is contemplative on both organ and open horn for “Easier To Be.” Some returns to the secular world include Joey D pulling the plugs on a rapid fire bopper “It Swung Wide Open” and a post bop and upbeat “Awake and Blissed” with Roberts in smoking form on tenor.
A deep and successful mix of blues, bop and the bodhi tree.