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So, late last year I’m checking out the sounds at the heart of the Soul Jazz empire at Universal Sounds, and I enquire: “what’s that you’re playing?” It was the Michal Urbaniak’s ‘Ekim’ on a forthcoming King Britt compilation!

So making a mental note to get the album, I’ve finally done it. A bit of a departure for King Britt you might think, but then again, perhaps not (also check Sister Gertrude and the King Britt interview).

This is Urbaniak leading the ways in Polish-fusion as it’s twisted violin. Felt so bad missing Eddie Henderson last week with Ambulance (see last year’s review) after listening to hear ‘Scorpio-Libra’ (from the Realization album of 1973). That album included the other Mr. Fusion, Herbie Hancock who opens up this album with a non-typical (for him anyway) poem of black/spiritual consciousness.

What a start, along with James Mtume; there’s some main movers in the soul-jazz, soul, fusion, jazz-funk, space-age spiritual jazz Mwandishi late sixties/early 70s.

King Britt certainly knows his stuff as he’s dug out the little known Dane Belany with a track called ‘Conviction’ that combines Afro beats and a jungle jazz vocal. Not surprisingly it turns out to be French and is a good companion to Hal Singer & Jef Gilson Soul Of Africa release on Kindred Spirits.

And on a similar tip, Don Cherry’s ‘Moving Pictures For The Ear’ is a bongo-harmonium chant compared to his ‘usual’ straight free-jazz horn of Live At Cafe Monmartre 1966 and then Brother Ah takes us ‘Beyond Yourself’ in the space-age monastery prayer meeting.

The CD finishes off on some big tunes. Grachan Moncur III (last seen on Archie Shepp’s Kwanza in the modal mode of ‘Space Spy’, Phil Ranelin (who we know from Build An Ark) with the 1974 ‘Time Is Now For Change’ and Doug & Jean Carn covering John Coltrane’s ‘Naima’ (this will be your favourite version for a week at least; WOW!)

So apart from a couple of tracks, this compilation borders on the cosmic dust of Radio 3 more than the Vibraphone sessions; even Flora Purim is ‘out there’ (what a great voice she has). Even so, once you get this album, I just know you’ll be eager for even more spiritual jazz. And you won’t have to wait too long as news reaches me that the esteemed Jazzman Records have a compilation coming out in the spring.

Not only that, this is only Volume 1 of The Cosmic Lounge! King Britt will have to push himself to better this.

Reviewed: Various - King Britt Presents The Cosmic Lounge Volume One (BBE/Rapster Records) Cat. No. RR0069 CD Release date: September 2007
Tracklisting:
1 Herbie Hancock - Kawaida (7:38)
2 Michal Urbaniak Group - Ekim (5:46)
3 Mtume - Yebo (6:10)
4 Eddie Henderson - Scorpio-Libra (7:02)
5 Dane Belany - Conviction (4:44)
6 Don Cherry - Moving Pictures For The Ear (9:41)
7 Brother Ahh - Beyond Yourself (6:04)
8 Flora Purim - Encounter (7:15)
9 Grachan Moncur III - Space Spy (6:58)
10 Phil Ranelin - Time Is Now For Change (13:32)
11 Doug & Jean Carn - Naima (4:34)

Links:
www.myspace.com/kingbritt
www.rapsterrecords.com
www.bbemusic.com
Sounds Of The Universe
7 Broadwick Street, Soho, London W1F 0DA Phone: 020 7734 3341 Fax: 020 7494 1035 www.souljazzrecords.co.uk
www.soundsoftheuniverse.com
www.myspace.com/eddiehendersonfunk
Gerry Hectic @ Last.FM : Top Tracks Overall (Generated: 16 Feb 2008)
1. Grachan Moncur III - Space Spy (6:58)
2. Grachan Moncur III - One Morning I Woke Up Very Early (7:05)