1971, in Detroit, trombonist Phil Ranelin and saxophonist Wendell Harrison started a band, a recording company, and a magazine, and called them the Tribe (3). This legendary political, social, and aesthetic collective also included key members like drummer Doug Hammond, trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, Pianist Harold McKinney plus musicians like Band The Mixed Bag, Bass Clarinetist and Woodwindist Aaron Neal, Bassist Ed Pickens, Bassist Will Austin, Bassist Lopez Leon, Bassist John Dana, Bassist Reginald (Shoo-Be-Doo) Fields, Conga Player Charles Miles, Drummer / Percussionist Roy Brooks, Drummer Billy Turner, Drummer Ron Jackson, Drummer George Davidson, Drummer Bud Spangler, Drummer Danny Spencer, Drummer Ike Daney, Drummer Gayelynn McKinney (Harold Mckinney's daughter), Drummer Michelle Jhara-Mckinney (Harold Mckinney's wife), Guitarist Ralph Armstrong, Keyboardist / Pianist Pamela Wise, Keyboardist David Durrah, Keyboardist Keith Vreeland, Keyboardist Buddy Budson, Keyboardist Charles Eubanks, Percussionist Barbara Huby, Percussionist Billy Turner, Percussionist Lorenzo Brown, Pianist Kenny Cox, Pianist Charles Eubanks, Poetry group The Black Messengers Synth player Daryl Dybka, Trumpeter Charles Moore, Vocalist Jeamel Lee, Vocalist Spanky Wilson , Vocalist Leon Thomas, and others.
Tribe, like Sun Ra throughout his career (releasing records on his own EL Saturn), Max Roach and Charles Mingus in the early 60s (releasing their own music), Stanley Cowell and Charles Tolliver with their Strata East collective in New York, the AACM collective in Chicago (Braxton, The Art Ensemble of Chicago and many more), the Black Artists Group in St. Louis and the Underground Musicians' Association in Los Angeles (Horace Tapscott and associates), defined the very meaning of independent spirit and community in jazz. Few people in the Detroit area music scene have been untouched in some shape or form by the influence and impact of Tribe. The House, Techno and Hip Hop generation among them.
In spring 2007, internationally respected innovative Detroit based producer Carl Craig re-assembled the remaining core living original members of the Tribe collective all still heavily active nationally and internationally and still very much in contact with other - Wendell Harrison (still living and working in Detroit), Phil Ranelin (now living and working in Los Angeles), Marcus Belgrave (still living in Detroit) and Doug Hammond (now living in Germany). In Craig’s newly refined Detroit Studio a brand new collective album started to take shape. The record features classic Tribe material including a brand new arrangements of the Tribe classics “Vibes from The Tribe,” and "Glue Fingers" as well as new compositions written especially for the record.
Fans of Carl Craig should note this is not a Carl Craig album - he is the producer here and for him this album is about presenting the Tribe sound. In some ways it's an extension of his work with Detroit Experiment, The but says "it's less experimental than Innerzone Orchestra and more cohesive than Detroit Experiment" but moreover in reality the project is a revival of Craig's label Community Projects which released the fantastic jazz album "World Trade Music" from drummer Francisco Mora in the late 90s. Community Projects is a sister label to Craig's Planet E Communications - devoted to non electronic music including jazz, world musics and blues. It's basis is in the Detroit community. -- Gamall @ Backspin Promotions
Tribe, like Sun Ra throughout his career (releasing records on his own EL Saturn), Max Roach and Charles Mingus in the early 60s (releasing their own music), Stanley Cowell and Charles Tolliver with their Strata East collective in New York, the AACM collective in Chicago (Braxton, The Art Ensemble of Chicago and many more), the Black Artists Group in St. Louis and the Underground Musicians' Association in Los Angeles (Horace Tapscott and associates), defined the very meaning of independent spirit and community in jazz. Few people in the Detroit area music scene have been untouched in some shape or form by the influence and impact of Tribe. The House, Techno and Hip Hop generation among them.
In spring 2007, internationally respected innovative Detroit based producer Carl Craig re-assembled the remaining core living original members of the Tribe collective all still heavily active nationally and internationally and still very much in contact with other - Wendell Harrison (still living and working in Detroit), Phil Ranelin (now living and working in Los Angeles), Marcus Belgrave (still living in Detroit) and Doug Hammond (now living in Germany). In Craig’s newly refined Detroit Studio a brand new collective album started to take shape. The record features classic Tribe material including a brand new arrangements of the Tribe classics “Vibes from The Tribe,” and "Glue Fingers" as well as new compositions written especially for the record.
Fans of Carl Craig should note this is not a Carl Craig album - he is the producer here and for him this album is about presenting the Tribe sound. In some ways it's an extension of his work with Detroit Experiment, The but says "it's less experimental than Innerzone Orchestra and more cohesive than Detroit Experiment" but moreover in reality the project is a revival of Craig's label Community Projects which released the fantastic jazz album "World Trade Music" from drummer Francisco Mora in the late 90s. Community Projects is a sister label to Craig's Planet E Communications - devoted to non electronic music including jazz, world musics and blues. It's basis is in the Detroit community. -- Gamall @ Backspin Promotions