Doug Carn Spirit of the New Land (LP, colored Vinyl, Ltd.)

(Real Gone) 7 tracks, colored vinyl in blue with black swirl vinyl, limited edition of 750 copies

Of all the artists who recorded for the Black Jazz label, keyboardist and composer Doug Carn was the most prolific. He released four albums for the label. “Spirit of the New Land” from 1972 was his second release for Black Jazz, but the first (of two) to feature his wife, singer Jean Carn. It's the most sought-after album in the series and showcases Carn's innovative approach to adding lyrics to jazz standards like Miles Davis' “Blue in Green” and Lee Morgan's “Search for the New Land,” while originals like “Arise and Shine” and “My Spirit” soar with spiritual fervor on the wings of his wife's five-octave range. Joining him is a stellar cast of musicians, including trumpeter Charles Tolliver, co-founder of the Strata-East label; saxophonist George Harper, who has played with Herbie Hancock and Jimmy Smith, among others; trombonist Garnett Brown, who can be heard on albums by Roland Kirk, Albert Ayler and Art Blakey; and tuba player Earl McIntyre, whose discography ranges from Carla Bley to the Band; and drummer Alphonse Mouzon, founding member of Weather Report. This beautiful, uplifting album also features liner notes by Pat Thomas, author of “Listen, Whitey! The Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975”, which include excerpts from a casual interview with Doug Carn himself.