1987 Azanyah “The One” on Path Of Light Records

Well, if deeply spiritual jazz on both a literal and metaphorical level threatens your strident musical atheism, read no further. But if you dig heavy Pharoah/Coltrane style deity-connection combined with BASS-LED avant jazz, you are in exactly the right spot. To be honest, I’m not sure precisely what belief system this is a proponent of, although bassist/composer/producer Mamaniji Azanyah released the mighty S.O.L.A.R. “Faith For My Mind” four years earlier, which you basically have to tithe 90% of your income to track down, and S.O.L.A.R. stands for Source Of Life Arkestral Revelation, which, sure, feels a whole lot in the realm of Ra, but as Mr. Ra’s spiritual/astral beliefs are difficult if not impossible to clearly define, that doesn’t help much. Is there an accompanying book? The Pentateuch? The New Testament? Dianetics? Something with helpful illustrations? In any case, all of that is irrelevant, because the music is fantastic. How could this have possibly come out in ’87? While not being derivative or retro, it’s pure 1972. Also, it’s pure Atlanta! I don’t know why, but it is.

Also, the production does not sound like Billy Idol outtakes, it’s deep and warm and comforting, a perfect tone for the long, rolling improvisations that are a set of Nazarene waves breaking on a Georgian shore. If someone told you this was a lost Black Fire or Nimbus West release recorded during the Nixon presidency, you’d have to be the Rasputin of jazz to dispute it. I LOVE this record and there is never a spin during which I don’t feel better about the world and all its people. “The One” may be a reference to a particular creator, but to me this music is “The One” in the sense of what we all are as humans, and the tracks are so positive and absorbing that for 30 minutes I can actually believe that America is not two hardened camps of political enemies, but a single people. Name me another record that can do that. TOP action.