Search - Rashied Ali :: New Directions in Modern Music

Another journey into the Stellar Regions

G B | Connecticut | 09/16/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After John Coltrane's death, the members of his last group started recording under their own name. While the cosmic jazz of Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane's albums is clearly under the spell of J.C., it's much tamer (and to many, more digestible) than the uncompromising intensity of Interstellar Space or Live in Japan. Rashied Ali chose not to go that route. Instead, this album continues where the '66-'67 Coltrane group left off and provides over 40 minutes of intense free jazz. Fred Simmons's piano playing has that same unsettled feeling that Alice Coltrane provided, while Carlos Ward's intense improvisations on alto and flute are evocative of the master. Rashied Ali's drumming is magnificent, providing every bit of the "multidirectional pulse" that he showcased on Interstellar Space. This CD is highly recommended to any fan of John Coltrane's last recordings. Be aware that there are lengthy bass and drum solos, and that the sound quality is mediocre."