Phil Ranelin

• IMPORT JAPAN

• paper sleeve EDITION WITH OBI

• INCLUDES 3 ALTERNATE TRACKS

It's hard to get more powerful and progressive than the message this title -- an indication that the record is one of the boldest in the Tribe Records catalog from the 70s -- which is saying a lot, given the force of the legendary Detroit label!

Trombonist Phil Ranelin is at his best here -- not just as a soloist, but also as a guiding spiritual force -- as he works here with a very progressive ensemble who are somewhere between Sun Ra's Arkestra and some of the loft jazz groups to come -- effortlessly mixing free instrumental solo passages with more rhythmic pulsations -- adding in electric elements in just the right way, to almost create a cosmic tension in the acoustic core of the performance. Keith Vreeland is listed as the pianist -- and we're not sure if it's him who plays the weird and wonderful keyboards on the record, but they're totally great -- mixed with Ranelin's work on trombone, plus Wendell Harrison on tenor, Marcus Belgrave on flugelhorn, Charles Moore on trumpet, and Harou El Nil on alto -- plus strong work from two drummers, George Davidson and Bili Turner, each in one side of the mix -- and bass from John Dana or Reggie Fields. This is message-oriented spiritual jazz at its best.

TRACKS:

• 01. The Time Is Now For Change
• 02. Time Is Running Out
• 03. Of Times Gone By
• 04. Black Destiny
• 05. 13th And Senate
• 06. He The One We All Knew
• 07. The Time Is Now For Change (Outtake)
• 08. Time Is Running Out (Extended)
• 09. He The One We All Knew (Extended)