The Rebirth of Spiritual Jazz
Spiritual jazz evokes the 1960’s works of John Coltrane. From “A Love Supreme” to “Meditations” to “Om,” he experimented with transcendence, prompting other artists like Pharoah Sanders and Lonnie Liston Smith to reach beyond standard jazz language, to channel the vocalizations of the Southern Baptist Church and to explore Asian religious practices.
This group of jazz pioneers emerged during an era of chaos. Tensions exploded across the U.S as the Civil Rights movement and other efforts at social transformation began to take shape. This prompted a search for a higher power, not only in jazz, but across the musical spectrum to unite a divided nation.
Today represents a similar moment of crisis where the stakes in art are high. Artists are asking new questions as they attempt to issue a new kind of call and response; one that is able to build upon the legacy of early pioneers and make noise within a cluttered information sphere. It makes sense that spiritual jazz is making its return now.
Two artists leading the way are Shabaka Hutchings and Kamasi Washington. Together they represent a united diaspora. Coming from opposite ends of the Atlantic, Hutchings from London and Washington from Los Angeles, their sounds find a new sustenance in spiritual jazz; rekindling spirituality and community around group improvisation.
Hutching’s sound and aesthetic is rooted in movement. His early upbringing in Barbados and move to London at the start of his teenage years informs his diverse and eclectic style, which draws on everything from the vibrant drum patterns of Caribbean carnival to the street-level intensity of grime. Hutchings taps into the “spiritual jazz” tradition in a similarly individualistic manner. In a piece he wrote for The Vinyl Factory about his favorite spiritual jazz tracks, Hutchings articulates how he thinks of spirituality as an individual process and tool to understand a world that is constantly changing, rather than a fixed entity. This act of reevaluating and questioning is a fundamental part of the jazz impulse.
Washington embodies a similar philosophy. His work with artists like Kendrick Lamar have helped popularize the jazz look and aesthetic, while still reflecting on the dynamic improvisations of Charlie Parker and the spiritual intensity of John Coltrane. Washington’s tightly knit group of bandmates, which at times includes his father Ricky Washington, represents a forming of his own congregation; exemplifying the spirituality of communion in a group practice. His two major releases, “The Epic” and “Heaven and Earth”, encompass enough material to rival that of biblical work and reflect his overtly cosmic ambitions.
Hutchings and Washington have brought a new energy to jazz. Pushing it beyond its confines as a genre to open up new modes of communication. In a time at which garnering attention has become harder and harder, artists like Hutchings and Washington make it hard not to listen.
Click here to view the print layout that appeared in the Fall 2018 issue of Emmie Magazine.
