Eddie Louiss* — John Surman — Daniel Humair – Our Kind Of Sabi

A real hidden gem! I first discovered the track, Out of the Sorcellery, on the Giles Peterson: Magic Peterson Sunshine album, the 2016 collection of various MPS artists throughout the years. I liked this song so much that I went in search of the whole album. Like much MPS music, it is unheard of here in the States and hard to get. I can't tell you how many MPS albums I've had shipped from European record dealers after discovering the label some time ago. Only a handful ever made it here.

The four songs on this album are all quite very good and well-recorded. The B3 Hammond organ sounds great and is unique versus sounding like Jimmy Smith or Larry Young. I actually found some of the playing to be more reminiscent of the first Boston rock album, which would come out 6 years later. The interplay between the bass and the vibes is also very interesting as is the whole album really.

1970 was a very transitional year in jazz with Miles Davis and others fully entering the fusion realm. This is more straight ahead jazz with a modern (then) bent to it. As a matter of fact, one of the reasons that I'm such a fan of MPS jazz, in general, is both the modern-ness, uniqueness, and faithfulness of the jazz they put out. While also German, it is much different than, say, German label, ECM's modern take on jazz around the same time. I highly recommend the Giles Peterson album and you won't be disappointed if you should happen across a vinyl copy of this one either.