Various Artists

Spiritual Jazz Volume 2

Guys, I don’t like it any more than you do…but I see my life slowly slipping away as I start listening to (and having OPINIONS about) jazz.

So a survey compilation with “spiritual” in the title and “esoteric” in the description and I am SOLD.

The in-depth liner notes here present an interesting perspective to which I was previously unaware…that jazz, as an inarguably American creation, struggled early on to properly identify itself away from American styles and sources.

Most “jazz” in the old world was decidedly old-timey…New Orleans ragtime or swing (sometimes known as “trad” short for traditional) were fully at odds with the style of bop that held sway over the United States in the 50’s and 60’s.

A lot of what I just wrote is cribbed from the liners here, and due to a fear of going to far down, I’ll just leave it at the fact that this comp has definitely given me a broader appreciation of the musical style.

First song on the collection is as good a place as ever to start, recorded in 1970 and helmed by an Austrian trombonist…there’s an inherent beauty and ease distilled here. Tied to the annual televised Oberwarter Mass (a Eucharist celebration) that takes place in the city of Oberwart in southeast Austria.

Interestingly, the lyrics were written with input from liturgical experts and constructed so that both the professional choir and the lay parishioners in attendance could both be involved in the performance. Any effort to even slightly deviate or subvert from (what I assume is) a Catholic mass is A-OK in my book.

Don’t even get me started on James Tatum’s “Contemporary Jazz Mass” as that shit is a whole other ball of yarn.

A solid entry into any record collection, worth picking up if you see it in the racks.