Review: Mike Reed - The Separatist Party (We Jazz Records / Astral Spirits Records)

Mike Reed ("not that one", if you're in the UK) has collected 'The Sdeparatist Party' together like a modern day James Blood Ulmer meets The Pop Group/Pere Ubu sans David Thomas/Art Ensemble of Chicago (better mention Sun Ra too!) and it's fantastic!

Still coming to terms with Darius Jones's'fLuXkit Vancouver (i̶t̶s̶ suite but sacred)' album (see review HERE)? Try this as an alternative "free-jazz" that's free not free.

We've recently featured the Asona/BBE re-issue series of Ghanaian Hi-Life/80s burger albums (see review HERE) and there's definitely some strong Afro-fusion influences here, like 'Rahsaan In the Serngeti' and 'We Came To Dance'.  

Like Kahil El'Zabar's Ethnic Hertage Ensemble (that's featured the AEOC's Joseph Bowie, son of legend Don, David Ornette Cherry - who passed away November, 2022 and "my mate", Dwight Trible) and indeed AEoC affiliation with the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), this Mike Reed is well known as a "community-builder" of music and presenting it; especially in the Chicago area.

The Separatist Party consists of six musicians that worked these nine tracks in just a week which is testament to their talents. Ben LaMar Gay (cornetist) is pretty evangelical whilst poet/spoken word artist, Marvin Tate (who have a great "battle" on 'Hold Me, Hold Me') are joined by Rob Frys, Cooper Crain and Dan Quinlivan (these three being members of Bitchin Bajas who had an album out last year, 'Switched On Ra' (see what they did there?) and these guys love a spacey synth.

The last track 'Eric's Theme' is a dreamy jazz/prog/Balearic instrumental that's arguably the most instant but it's all deep and a bit angular like the cover artwork; no surprise that they already have champions like Gilles Peterson (BBC 6 Music), Soho Radio, NTS, 1BTN and more voting for this party.

Reed has appeared on many Astral Spirits albums and this is thier first joint release with We Jazz and they are well suited as a partnership.

Artist: Mike Reed
Title: The Separatist Party
Release date: 27th October, 2023
Label :  We Jazz Records / Astral Spirits Records
Catalog Number : WJLP056 / AS 231 CD / Digital / Bandcamp