One of the most unique albums on the Strata East label - and that's saying a heck of a lot, given the creative energies flowing through that legendary jazz outlet! Descendents Of Mike & Phoebe is a righteous little project put together by Spike Lee's father, Bill Lee, and his brothers and sisters (Cliff Lee, Grace Lee Mims, and Consuela Lee Moorhead) - working here in a group named after their slave ancestors, who are paid tribute in a beautifully flowing batch of tunes! Lee's round, warm bass tones are firmly at the head of the group on most numbers - recorded at a similar level to his excellent work with Clifford Jordan on Strata East during the same time - and other instrumentation includes piano from Consuela, flugelhorn from Cliff, and percussion from Sonny Brown and Billy Higgins - all used in a wonderfully evocative style that's even better than some of Lee's later soundtrack work. A few numbers feature vocals from Grace - singing wordlessly and with a really heavenly sort of quality - and together, the whole group have an undeniable sense of power and majesty, yet also one that's touched by a really personal sense of poetry too. Titles include a great version of Lee's "Coltrane", which was more famously recorded with Clifford Jordan.

Tracklist:

Two Songs for a Boy Named Mark
Little Bitty Baby
Soliloquy to a Man-Child
Coltrane
Chick Chick
Well Done Weldon
A Spirit Speaks
Attica
Take My Hand Precious Lord
Boll Weevil
Don't Be a Stranger
Too Little, Too Late

UPC: 5060149622643
Label: Pure Pleasure
Release Date: 10.20.17
Format: Vinyl

Descendants Of Mike & Phoebe - Spirit Speaks (LP)