livesoncoffee (chris)
If you are searching for a dose of jazz in the style of 1960s Pharoah Sanders or John and Alice Coltrane, look no further. Amazing music!
Favorite track: Duality Suite (I. +, II. -, III. Divine Masculine, IV. Divine Feminine).
We Need Peace and
Joy and Lovin
Harmonies and Honesty
I know we can Move in Love
With our all joining as one
Lord Help me with sharing my heart
With my brothers and my sisters
We all belong to this earth
So lord help us share some
More Love
Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few return with a new musical journey, "The Almighty". The first quartet offering since 2021's Cosmic Transition.
Collier's compositions and lyrics focus on using music to communicate deeper principles that are part of everyday.
Isaiah showcases these principles through sounds that evolve within the titles: Love, Compassion, & Perspective. These principles once taken fully in are arranged to deliver the message that there is a Divine energy connecting through us all and is seen within all things.
The album opens up with LOVE, featuring the legendary Chicago vocalist Dee Alexander channeling her energy to deliver the message of love to the human family. With lyrics written by Collier specific to Alexander's qualities as a maternal figure to him and other musicians, the message remains strong within the music throughout the album. Searching deeper to share more sincerely through our interactions with others, is the albums objective. Collier & The Chosen Few showcase those Principle with Musicianship and an unyielding commitment to put their all into each breath of this episodic journey. The album features the legendary Saxophonist Ari Brown, who has mentored Isaiah for over a decade in their native Chicago. The conversation between student and master evolves on the song "Compassion". Collier's steps into the vocalist roll on the infectious, Perspective (Peace & Love) which serves as Collier's acknowledgement of Pharoah Sanders for his musical contributions, that features percussive sounds that connect the ancestors of the diaspora. Throughout "The Almighty" the group explores elements heard on 2021’s Cosmic Transitions and 2022’s Beyond by I AM (Isaiah Collier and Michael Shekwoaga Ode), and streamline the sound with laser focus in this incarnation.
This sound resonate the most in "The Duality Suite" a Four part movement that focuses in on the balance of polar opposites forming together to bring balance and harness the grace of understanding from different perspectives, with the movements of: +(Plus), -(Minus), Divine Masculine, and Divine Feminine. The Suite sways between fiery and peaceful sounds all molded together like all the elements of nature.
The Suite leads into a new layer of orchestration with the title track "The Almighty". Collier showcases his gifts on Saxophone as well as, conductor of a large ensemble known as, The Celestials. The sounds of nature are represented by with chimes and wind sounds, building up into a heart pounding overture. With Strings and brass joining Isaiah on this journey about resilience and dedication to reach divine levels with the Higher Source as the guiding light. The Almighty.
credits
released April 26, 2024
Isaiah Collier Sax, Vocals, Auxiliary Percussion
Michael Shekwoaga Ode Drums
Julian Davis Reid Piano
Jeremiah Hunt Bass
Album Engineer: Lee Farmer
Recording Engineer: Sizwe Banzi Butler
Assistant Engineers: Julian Brown and
Brian Eskeridge
Mix Engineer: Sean Owens
Additional Mixing: Lee Farmer
Photography by Sonny Daze & Chris Andrews
All Songs Recorded By Sizwe Banzi Butler
Except The Almighty recorded by Dennis Tousana.
Recorded May 9th 2023 Chicago IL
At Soundmine Studio
The Celestials:
Strings
Zara Zaharieva-Violin
Edith Yokey-Violin
Michelle Manson-Viola
Horns
Mayshell Morris-Flute
Fred Jackson-Alto Saxophone
Corey Wilkes-Trumpet
Ryan Nyther-Trumpet
Matthew Davis-Trombone
Justin Dillard- Piano
Micah Collier- Bass
Vincent Davis- Drums
Executive Produced by Sonny Daze , Isaiah Collier & Maurice Montoya
Art Direction by Sonny Daze & Kamal Collins
Unlike any other. Its feel is both reflective and down to earth, and the compositions are easily differentiated despite their relative shortness. Not only a pleasure to listen to, this album is rhythmically complex, but not in a maddening, hard to process way. Also, very clever album title. ianjworsomething
The shape of punk that is. The future is now! Open the Gates is the great conflagration of the past to act as a voice of hope in the darkness. Robby Morgan
