Drummer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Reed has cooked up something exciting here on The Separatist Party. The Astral Spirits release finds Reed and an all-star crew in the service of music that's more than jazz. Structured nearly like a concept album, this one soothes the heart and informs the mind.
Cornetist Ben LaMar Gay and Rob Frye, Cooper Crain, and Dan Quinlivan (those three from Bitchin' Bajas) add the fire here, with spoken word pieces from Marvin Tate anchoring cuts like "One of Us", a Last Poets-ish highlight. Other tracks, like "Our Own Love Language" steer things into quiet territory, with flute from Frye and cornet from Gay dancing it out. "Your Soul" centers Reed's drums in the mix, letting those guide Tate's words forward. "Rahsaan In the Serengeti" is more lovely than difficult, the melodic piece veering into the atmosphere.
Inspired by the feelings of isolation he felt during COVID lockdown, and based upon improvisations for a Loose Assembly project, Mike Reed's work here is jazz that refuses to stay in one lane. Alternately challenging and absolutely beautiful, the tunes here convey both a seriousness of intent and a real spirit of the past. One can hear hints of Sanders and Sun Ra, The Last Poets, even Seventies Rollins. But this is all distinctive enough to earn Mike Reed a whole lot of new fans in 2023. Well deserved, I'd say.
The Separatist Party by Mike Reed is out this week on Astral Spirits.
[Photo: Line Raud]