Marcus J. Moore Liberation Jazz And Soul

To commemorate the release of his highly-anticipated book, "The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America," the polymathic Marcus J. Moore has crafted his first musical project, "spr blk: liberation jazz and soul from the '70s and beyond," an exquisite 60-minute set of rare and somewhat familiar Black music from his personal collection. As of late, he’s been into obscure jazz and soul from the 1970s, an interest that arose as he finished writing "The Butterfly Effect." “I had to tap into some heavy stuff for the book — Black pain, trauma, systemic racism, and resilience. It took a toll,” Moore says. “After I submitted the project, I needed something spiritual and very much for me. That led me to artists like Nina Simone and Alice Coltrane, and groups like The Voices of East Harlem. I needed music that spun our collective pain into something positive.” In turn, "spr blk" goes deep on meditative jazz and soul from a fruitful era of Black music. Side A simmers: dusty drums clatter in the darkness, and for the first few minutes, listeners are taken to shuttered jazz clubs, where the smoke loomed heavily above cramped stages. Side B is livelier, full of percussive gems and uplifting soul. Profits from this album are donated to jazzfoundation.org