Mark De Clive Lowe & Friends

Freedom - Celebrating The Music Of Pharoah Sanders

Image of Mark De Clive Lowe & Friends - Freedom - Celebrating The Music Of Pharoah Sanders
Record Label
Soul Bank

About this item

Electronic jazz pioneer, pianist, producer, re-mixer Mark de Clive-Lowe has an envious reputation as a cross genre creative artist who blends acoustic, electronic and world music exploring themes of belonging and identity. Equal parts jazz, house, hip hop and broken beat artist, Jazziz summed him up perfectly - "way before jazz hybridity became a worldwide phenomenon, de Clive-Lowe was busy designing its blueprint.”

Freedom is a live concert recording made at the Blue Whale, Los Angeles - where Mark put together a Los Angeles based collective made up by very accomplished and suitably talented Teodross Avery – saxophone, Corbin Jones - bass, souzaphone drummer Tommaso Cappellato Carlos Nino – percussion and the highly renowned spiritual jazz vocalist Dwight Trible.

Reinterpreting a set of Pharoah Sanders highly respected music is not for the creatively timid, and Mark himself sets out the approach and philosophy this collective took when approaching this project: “This album is a celebration of the music, joy and spirit that the great master-teacher Pharoah Sanders brings to the world through his lifelong creative journey. We gathered at Los Angeles’ Blue Whale jazz club to perform some of our favorite Pharoah compositions from a place of love, respect and gratitude for all the inspiration he’s brought to each of us. No one can play this music how Pharoah plays it - his expression is unique and imprinted on every one of his compositions in the deepest of ways. We can’t possibly improve on his mastery and share this music simply as a heartfelt thank you to Pharoah - we celebrate you, and are so grateful for all the timeless - and timely - music you have gifted to the world”.

Across this 12 track album the unique approach of improvised jazz is embellished with MDCL’s tasteful and subtle touches of electronica played & triggered – from behind his array of equipment he reinvigorates and energises the music with a deft and tasteful approach and the interplay between the musicians including vocalist Dwight Trible is flawless and more akin to a extensively rehearsed studio recording than a live concert, such are the skills of all the players.

The highlights are many and varied, from the delicate, sensitive Mansions World and Astral Travelling to the intense and rhythmically driven tracks OreSe-Rere and Teodross Avery’s spine tingling saxophone clarion call that opens the ever green ‘You’ve Got To Have Freedom’ is a beautiful tribute from one generation of master musicians to Pharoah – one of the greatest ever.

STAFF COMMENTS

Millie says: A beautiful, touching tribute of Pharoah Sanders, Mark De Clive Lowe and a host of other artists reimagine his powerful music which is no easy task but it's delivered in the most celebratory way, filled with emotion and admiration for a great musician while exploring important themes of freedom and identity.

TRACK LISTING

LP
DISC ONE
A1 Upper Egypt
A2 Elevation
A3 Colors
B1 You’ve Got To Have Freedom
B2 Thembi
B3 Astral Travelling
DISC TWO
C1 The Creator Has A Master Plan
C2 Greeting To Saud (Brother McCoy Tyner)
C3 Love Is Everywhere
D1 Mansions World
D2 Ore-Se-Rere
D3 Memories Of Lee Morgan

CD
DISC ONE
01 Upper Egypt
02 Elevation
03 Colors
04 You’ve Got To Have Freedom
05 Thembi
06 Astral Travelling
DISC TWO
01 The Creator Has A Master Plan
02 Greeting To Saud (Brother McCoy Tyner)
03 Love Is Everywhere
04 Mansions World
05 Ore-Se-Rere
06 Memories Of Lee Morgan

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