(Afrobeat, Avant-Garde Jazz, Funk) E.W. Wainwright, Jr. - E.W. Wainwright, Jr.'s African Roots of Jazz - 1981, MP3, 320 kbps

A wonderful bit of spiritual jazz from this richly collective ensemble! The album's got a groove that's as promising as its title – and features a large assemblage of percussionists, singers, and instrumentalists – all coming together in longer tracks penned by Wainwright, with a feel that's like the best Strata East sides from the mid 70s! Wainwright himself plays percussion on the session, and the tunes shift mood from number to number – sometimes coming on full on and soaring with a full vocal chorus – other times stepping out with a mostly-instrumental array of sounds that includes some nice work on vibes by Ricky Kelly! The whole thing's great, and extremely solid and visionary all the way through.

E.W. Wainwright - drums, percussion
Annette Lipson - congas, tambourine
Cash Killion - bass
Lamont Davidson - soprano saxophone
Mack Rucks - trumpet, percussion
Neal Kirkwood - piano
Ricky Kelly - vibes
Orell Allen - vocal director
Earline Love, Helen Banks, Maria Jones, Michelle McLorin, Marion Banks, Resa Hicks, Sharon Brown, Sonya McLorin, Theresa Grimes, Wanda Allen - vocals