Songs old and new for jazz fans are addressed here as Ravi Coltrane explores a couple songs made famous by his father, an R&B gem from Earth, Wind and Fire and some originals come into play from the free from trio of Jack DeJohnette/dr-p, Matthew Garrison/b and Coltrane/ts-ss-sss.
The Civil Rights spiritual “Alabama” was made famous by John Coltrane over a half century ago, with this one featuring a deeply brooding tenor sax by the son. “Blue In Green” includes the rare appearance of DeJohnette on piano, sounding hauntingly like Paul Bley in elliptical fluorescence partnered with Coltrane’s soprano. “Serpentine Fire” features Garrison’s thick electric bass, DeJohnette’s backbeat and Coltrane’s soprano laying back with soul on the bluesy read of the EWF hit. A tribute to one of senior Coltrane’s famed drummers has DeJohnette hammering away alongside the son’s fiercely frenetic soprano on “Rashied” while some exotic electronics team in with DeJohnette’s relentless groove and mystically moody tenor on “Two Jimmys” mixing funk and Middle Eastern caravans. A hip meeting of three generations that cross as many gaps.
ECM Records