Sounds of Liberation were a Philadelphia-based vanguard jazz septet founded by vibraphonist
Khan Jamal. The group also included alto saxophonist
Byard Lancaster, guitarist
Monnette Sudler, drummer Dwight James, percussionist
Omar Hill, bassist Billy Mills, and conguero Rashid Salim. The collective also credited George Gilmore as its spiritual advisor.
Sounds of Liberation released one self-titled record in 1972. It reflected the African American spirit of self-determination in an era that also birthed independent labels like Detroit’s Tribe Records, Oakland’s Black Jazz, and
Charlies Tolliver's and
Stanley Cowell's Strata East.
SOL was long sought on the collector’s market and thought an all but lost grail until
Jamal and
Lancaster approached Porter Records' Luke Mosling; he agreed to release it unheard.
SOL's reputation as a classic of vanguard spiritual jazz is well-founded. Its six selections reveal a remarkable interplay between rhythmic instruments, and the incredible technical facility of
Lancaster in particular.
Jamal is a master bandleader; his vibes bridge musical traditionss -- African trance music, free jazz, and funk -- as well as electric and acoustic instruments, creating a unified whole from the parts. One listen to the nearly 20-minute opening cut, “Happy Tuesday,” is evidence enough. The interplay between James’ drums, congas, and hand percussion is astonishing.
Lancaster solos over the top with a remarkablee depth of emotional and technical facility, while
Sudler’s guitar and
Jamal’s vibes create two textures: the former, a dense fiery Wall of Sound, and the latter, a fluid melodicism way inside the music. “New Horizons II” finds
Jamal’s reverbed vibes leading the pack as
Lancaster fills the the top layer with uplifting and rousing solo breaks, but it is the Latin rhythms percolating ito a volcanic eruption that push it over the top. “Billie One” is also a Latin-inspired funk-rock groover with a terrific solo by
Jamal, but it is Mills' startling electric bass playing that startles. “New Horizons I” picks up where its predecessor left off with Cuban, Panamanian, and even Afro-Brazilian polyrhythms juxtaposed against crying spiritual saxophone by
Lancaster, and a stinging lead guitar break by
Sudler, who also plays grooved-out funk vamps with Mills. The unearthed
Sounds of Liberation is a treasure of '70s jazz certainly, but it is also a spiritual jazz classic. ~ Thom Jurek