Love Part 1 - A perfect title for a perfect record -- especially given all the love we've felt from Build An Ark over the years! The album's a masterpiece through and through -- easily the greatest statement ever from this already-amazing band -- a contemporary ensemble, but one that we'd seamlessly rank right next to our righteous favorites on labels like Impulse Records, Tribe, or Strata East -- with all the political power and sense of social mission those references would imply! The song titles alone will give you a great idea of the beautiful vibe behind Build An Ark -- tunes like "Celebrate", "How Do We End All This Madness", "Love Is Everywhere", "World Peace Now", and "This Prayer For The Whole World" -- which re-ignite the Love Supreme candle first lit by John Coltrane in the 1960s -- burning brightly again in the 21st Century, and almost even more inspiring -- given the youthful energy of the group. As always, mainman Carlos Nino deserves a hell of a lot of credit for getting something this great, this right -- but the group is also very clearly a collective, and draws amazing energy from members who include Dwight Trible, Kamau Daaood, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Damon Aaron, Jim Lang, and others. In addition to above-mentioned titles, other tunes include "Sweet Thing", "World Music", "More Love", "In The Park", and "Play The Music".
[DustyGroove]

Dawn - An amazing album from Build An Ark -- even more spiritual and far-reaching than their first -- and still with a vibe that rivals some of the most righteous jazz ever issued in the 70s on labels like Impulse and Strata East! The ensemble features both older and younger players -- coming together in a collective exploration of some of the hipper sides of the jazz spectrum -- all in a mode that recalls early genius of Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, and others from many years back -- recorded in a style that's completely sensitive to the nuances of the music. Carlos Nino produced, and also contributed some of the tunes -- and group members include Dwight Trible on vocals, Nate Morgan on piano, Adam Rudolph on kalimba, and Derf Reklaw on congas -- but that's only the tip of the iceberg, given the size of the group. Titles include "Sunshine", "Healing Song", "Love Sweet Like Sugar Cane", "Dawn", "River Run", "When Ancestors Speak", "Morning Glory", "In Her Smile", and "You Yourself Are The Key To The Universe".
[DustyGroove]

The new BUILD AN ARK _Peace With Every Step_
is very much a modern soulful kozmigroov album.

Though it was release this year (making it modern simply by release date)
it really feels more like a mid-70's spiritual soul jazz groover.

The covers of Pharoah's "You've Gotta Have Freedom"
and Phil Ranelin's "Vibes From The Tribe" are worth it alone.
But the album is much more than just those covers.
The entire A, C, and D sides are excellent spiritual groovin' soul jazz.
I don't care for the B side as the lyrics are too cheesy for my tastes
but the A,C,D sides totally make up for it.
[freeform]