William Parker - Great Spirit (2015)

Great Spirit again makes abundantly clear William Parker's multi-faceted talents as bassist, composer, poet, bandleader and songwriter. Raining On The Moon is the extraordinary group which seamlessly fuses all of these prodigious gifts: his long-standing Quartet with Hamid Drake, Rob Brown, Lewis Barnes is here exquisitely augmented by singer Leena Conquest breathing further compassion & dignity into William's lyrics, and pianist Eri Yamamoto for expert chordal support.

Corn Meal Dance (AUM043) is one of the most beautiful, potent, luminous, and true albums of all-original song ever made. The indelible melodies and rhythms; the words, unyielding and uplifting in equal measure; the performances by all six musicians; the recording quality itself. All are strictly top shelf. The January 2007 studio session which yielded that album was extraordinarily productive, and Great Spirit presents the entire balance of material recorded on that wonderful day.


'The music is both fascinating and spiritually lifting ..Unexpected beauty and tenderness arrive .. It sends shivers.' –Boston Globe

'In suggesting an alternate past, where Nina Simone jammed with John Coltrane, Parker finds another future.' –The Sunday Times (London)

Tracklist:

01. Bowl Of Stone Around The Sun (9:30)
02. Doson Ngoni Blues (8:11)
03. Feet Music (5:44)
04. Great Spirit (6:47)
05. Prayer-Improv (5:48)
06. Song (for Whitney) [live] (6:23)
07. Potpourri (2:24)

Personnel:

Acoustic Bass – William Parker
Alto Saxophone – Rob Brown (4)
Drums – Hamid Drake
Piano – Eri Yamamoto
Trumpet – Lewis Barnes
Voice – Leena Conquest