Infinite Sound - 1975 - Contemporary African-Amerikan Music

Infinite Sound 

1975 

Contemporary African-Amerikan Music

01. Do It All    8:24

02. Stagflation    1:59

03. The Ocean Moves Primitively    10:45

04. Spanish Tale    7:07

05. Synthetic Variation    11:40

06. Homeland Rhythm Cycles    4:13

Bass , Voice, Percussion – Glenn Howell

Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Percussion – Roland Young

Vocals, Percussion – Aisha Kahlil

Recorded in Dolby process at 1750 Arch Street, November 1974.

Infinite Sound’s Contemporary African-Amerikan Music, released in 1975 on the eclectic 1750 Arch Records (catalog ARCH-1755), is a bold, transcendent slice of conscious avant-garde jazz that pulses with the spirit of Black liberation and cultural fusion. This 44-minute, six-track LP, recorded in November 1974 at Berkeley’s 1750 Arch Street studio, is a sonic manifesto from a trio—Roland P. Young on reeds and electronics, Aisha Kahlil on vocals, and Glenn Howell on bass—that dares to blend free jazz, African rhythms, and experimental textures into a sound that’s as politically charged as it is spiritually uplifting. Unearthed from obscurity by reissues from Aguirre Records (2018, 2021), this album is a hidden gem that feels like a dispatch from a parallel universe where Sun Ra and Alice Coltrane co-hosted a Black Power rally. In this scholarly yet approachable analysis, I’ll dissect the album’s musical structure, review its strengths and weaknesses, provide biographical sketches of the musicians, and situate Contemporary African-Amerikan Music within the cultural landscape of 1975. Expect a sprinkle of wit and irony, as befits a record so audacious it makes you wonder if the mainstream jazz world was just too square to handle its groove—or too busy chasing disco dollars to notice.

Infinite Sound was a trio led by Roland P. Young, with Aisha Kahlil and Glenn Howell, each bringing a unique voice to this avant-garde project. Below are their backgrounds, drawn from Forced Exposure, Boomkat, and AllMusic.

Roland P. Young (clarinet, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, kalimba, electronics, composer): Born in 1940 in Kansas City, Missouri, Young is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and radio DJ whose eclectic career spans jazz, experimental music, and world influences. In the late 1960s, he was a DJ at San Francisco’s KSAN, an underground rock station, where he connected with Howell, as Forced Exposure recounts. Influenced by Eric Dolphy and Anthony Braxton, Young’s clarinet and sax work is both lyrical and exploratory, while his use of electronics and kalimba reflects a futurist bent, akin to Sun Ra’s cosmic experiments. By 1975, he was performing solo and with cellist Chris Chaffe at 1750 Arch, a Spanish-style hacienda turned cultural hub, per Boomkat. Young’s disdain for rigid labels, as Aguirre Records notes, drove his vision of blending cultures, making him the trio’s sonic architect. Later albums like Isophonic Boogie Woogie (1980) cemented his cult status, though one imagines him chuckling at the industry’s belated discovery of his genius, like a jazz sage who knew the future before it arrived.

Aisha Kahlil (vocals, percussion): Little is documented about Kahlil’s early life, but her contribution to Contemporary African-Amerikan Music is seismic. Her vocals, described by Dusty Groove as “almost more instrumental than vocal,” soar from wordless chants to ecstatic wails, evoking Alice Coltrane’s spiritual fervor and Yoko Ono’s avant-garde edge. Kahlil’s freewheeling style, per AllMusic, blends seamlessly with Young’s reeds, creating a dialogue that’s both primal and futuristic. Her performances at rallies for Black Liberation, Women’s Movement, and Anti-War causes, as Young recalls in Boomkat, suggest a deep political commitment, making her the trio’s emotional core. One suspects she could’ve out-sung any diva but chose to channel her voice into revolution, leaving mainstream jazz vocalists to wonder how she made “scatting” sound like a cosmic sermon.

Glenn Howell (bass, percussion): Howell, the trio’s rhythmic anchor, is another enigmatic figure, known later for guitar work but here wielding bass with a commanding presence, per Dusty Groove. A Bay Area musician, he connected with Young through KSAN, where he called in to discuss music, as Forced Exposure details. His basslines on the album are both grounding and adventurous, locking into African-inspired rhythms while supporting Kahlil’s vocal flights. Howell’s involvement in 1750 Arch’s vibrant scene, per Boomkat, placed him at the heart of San Francisco’s experimental underground. His later shift to guitar, as AllMusic notes, suggests a restless creativity, though one imagines him smirking at the idea of being “just” a bassist, given how his grooves carry the album’s weight like a funk philosopher with a cause.

This trio, forged in the crucible of 1970s activism and experimentation, was less a band than a cultural force, as Aguirre Records suggests, reaching for “sounds and emotions that were unfamiliar” to blend Black Liberation with global unity.

The mid-1970s were a pivotal moment for jazz and Black cultural expression. Spiritual jazz, inspired by John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders, was thriving, with labels like Strata-East (New York) and Black Jazz (Los Angeles) amplifying Black voices. In Brazil, the Black Rio movement fused samba and funk, paralleling Infinite Sound’s Afrocentric explorations. San Francisco, where Contemporary African-Amerikan Music was recorded, was a hotbed of countercultural and activist energy, from the Black Panthers to anti-war protests. The album’s title, as Aguirre Records notes, “positioned the record quite specifically in 1975,” aligning it with the Black Liberation struggle while aiming for a “blending of cultures,” per Young’s vision.

1750 Arch Records, founded by Thomas Buckner, was an eclectic label known for avant-garde and classical releases, housed in a Spanish-style hacienda with a basement studio, per Boomkat. Infinite Sound’s performances there, described as “transcendent,” tapped into the era’s vibe of spiritual renewal, as Forced Exposure recounts. The album’s release coincided with a broader cultural shift, as Journal of the American Musicological Society notes, where Black music demanded analysis grounded in its practitioners’ experiences, challenging musicology’s Eurocentric biases. Yet, its obscurity—original vinyls are rare, fetching high prices on Discogs—reflects the industry’s neglect of experimental Black artists, as if they were too busy hyping disco to notice a trio rewriting jazz’s future.

Contemporary African-Amerikan Music is a six-track, 44-minute LP recorded in Dolby process at 1750 Arch Street, November 1974, and released in 1975 with a Library of Congress catalog number (75-750059), per Discogs. The trio—Young on reeds, kalimba, and electronics, Kahlil on vocals and percussion, Howell on bass and percussion—creates a sound that’s both structured and free, blending avant-garde jazz, African rhythms, and spiritual fervor. Reissued by Aguirre Records (2018, 2021) with liner notes by Julian Cowley, it’s a cult classic rated 4.72/5 on Discogs and 3.67/5 on Rate Your Music.

The album’s sonic palette is rich yet sparse: Young’s clarinet, bass clarinet, and alto sax weave melodic and atonal lines, often processed with electronics for a futuristic sheen. Kahlil’s vocals, ranging from chants to wails, act as a lead instrument, per Dusty Groove, while Howell’s bass provides a rhythmic and harmonic foundation, occasionally doubled by percussion. The compositions, all by Young, are modal and cyclical, with African-inspired polyrhythms and free-jazz improvisations, as Jazzmessengers.com notes, mixing “jazz, avant-garde and African musical influences.” The production, clean and immersive, captures the trio’s live chemistry, enhanced by the hacienda’s acoustics, per Boomkat.

Stylistically, the album is conscious avant-garde jazz with spiritual and African roots, akin to Sun Ra’s Arkestra or Alice Coltrane’s Impulse! recordings, but with a unique Bay Area flavor, per inconstantsol.blogspot.com. It’s not “free” in the Cecil Taylor sense, as Discogs clarifies, but structured, with compositions that balance improvisation and intent. The title track’s political edge, as Aguirre Records suggests, reflects Black Liberation, yet Young’s goal of cultural blending gives it a universal resonance, like a jazz sermon for a global village.

“Do It All” (8:24): The opener sets the tone with Howell’s pulsating bass and Young’s clarinet weaving a modal melody, soon joined by Kahlil’s wordless vocals, which Dusty Groove calls “freewheeling.” The track’s cyclical structure, accented by kalimba and percussion, feels like a ritual dance, as Rate Your Music notes its “spiritual” vibe. Young’s electronics add a sci-fi edge, making it a perfect blend of earthy and cosmic, though one wonders if the title’s a sly jab at the era’s “do your own thing” mantra.

“Stagflation” (1:59): The shortest track, this quirky interlude features Young’s bass clarinet and Kahlil’s playful chants over Howell’s sparse bass. Its title, referencing the 1970s economic malaise, is a cheeky nod to the era’s woes, per Jazzmessengers.com. It’s more a mood-setter than a standalone piece, like a musical amuse-bouche that leaves you curious but slightly underfed.

“The Ocean Moves Primitively” (10:45): The Side A closer is a sprawling masterpiece, with Howell’s bass locking into a hypnotic groove, Young’s alto sax soaring, and Kahlil’s vocals evoking a primal chant, per Soundohm. The track’s African rhythms and free-jazz flourishes, as inconstantsol.blogspot.com notes, recall Strata-East’s spiritual jazz, yet its electronic textures push it into Afrofuturist territory. It’s immersive, though its length might test listeners who prefer their jazz less like a deep-sea dive.

“Spanish Tale” (7:07): Side B opens with a lyrical clarinet melody from Young, backed by Howell’s walking bass and Kahlil’s soaring vocals, per Jazzmessengers.com. Despite the title, there’s little “Spanish” here; it’s more a nod to global fusion, as Aguirre Records suggests, with a groove that’s both introspective and danceable. It’s a highlight, though the title’s a bit like calling a spaceship a “carriage”—charmingly misleading.

“Synthetic Variation” (11:40): The album’s longest track is a tour de force, with Young’s electronics and kalimba creating a cosmic backdrop for Kahlil’s ecstatic wails and Howell’s driving bass, per Soundohm. Its cyclical structure and free improvisations, as Rate Your Music notes, evoke Sun Ra’s exploratory spirit, making it a journey that’s both challenging and rewarding. It’s the trio’s boldest statement, though its length might make you wonder if they forgot where the studio’s “stop” button was.

“Homeland Rhythm Cycles” (4:13): The closer is a reflective coda, with Young’s clarinet and Kahlil’s gentle chants over Howell’s pulsing bass, per Sofa Records. Its African-inspired rhythms, as inconstantsol.blogspot.com notes, ground the album in cultural roots, offering a hopeful resolution, like a homecoming after a cosmic voyage. It’s concise yet profound, though some might wish for a longer farewell.

Contemporary African-Amerikan Music is a stunning achievement, a politically and spiritually conscious work that blends avant-garde jazz with African and experimental elements into a “seriously rich and powerful sound,” per Jazzmessengers.com. Kahlil’s vocals are a revelation, as Dusty Groove praises, transforming the trio into a singular voice. Young’s reeds and electronics, paired with Howell’s bass, create a dynamic texture, as Soundohm notes, while the production captures the hacienda’s live energy. Tracks like “The Ocean Moves Primitively” and “Synthetic Variation” are immersive, and the album’s 44-minute runtime feels perfectly paced, per Rate Your Music. Its 2018 reissue, with Cowley’s liner notes, has cemented its cult status, as Boomkat hails its “transcendent” quality.

However, the album isn’t flawless. Its avant-garde leanings, as Discogs notes, may alienate listeners expecting traditional jazz, and “Stagflation” feels more like a sketch than a fully realized track. The electronics, while innovative, can sound dated to modern ears, like a sci-fi soundtrack from a low-budget 1970s flick. Its original obscurity, as inconstantsol.blogspot.com laments, reflects the industry’s neglect, and even the reissue’s limited pressing (500 copies, per Soundohm) keeps it niche. And let’s be real: titling a track “Stagflation” is either genius or a cry for help in a decade of economic gloom—maybe both.

The album is a vital artifact of 1975’s spiritual jazz scene, embodying the Black Liberation struggle while reaching for global unity, as Aguirre Records notes. Its Afrofuturist elements, per Carnegie Hall’s Timeline of African American Music, align with Sun Ra’s cosmic visions, making it a precursor to artists like Janelle Monáe. For scholars, it challenges musicology’s Eurocentric biases, as Journal of the American Musicological Society argues, demanding analysis rooted in Black experiences. Its performances at rallies, per Boomkat, tie it to the era’s activism, while its rediscovery reflects a growing appreciation for overlooked Black jazz, as inconstantsol.blogspot.com celebrates its “unique” sound.

Contemporary reviews of Contemporary African-Amerikan Music were scarce, given its small release on 1750 Arch, but its 2018 Aguirre reissue sparked acclaim. Rate Your Music rates it 3.67/5, with users calling it an “unknown gem,” while Discogs gives it 4.72/5, praising its “spiritual jazz” vibe. Dusty Groove hails Kahlil’s vocals and the trio’s “fantastic” interplay, and Soundohm calls it a “much needed repress” of a “free jazz” classic. inconstantsol.blogspot.com compares it to Strata-East’s output, noting its “amazing” scans and sound. Jazzmessengers.com emphasizes its “politically conscious” power, making it a collector’s prize, with vinyls fetching high prices, per Discogs.

The album’s legacy lies in its role as a spiritual jazz touchstone, influencing Afrofuturist and avant-garde artists, as Carnegie Hall suggests. Its reissues have introduced it to new audiences, as Forced Exposure notes, while Young’s later work continues its experimental thread. It’s a testament to a trio that dared to dream beyond jazz’s confines, even if the industry was too busy chasing trends to notice.

Contemporary African-Amerikan Music is a visionary work, a conscious avant-garde jazz odyssey that blends Black Liberation with global fusion. Roland P. Young’s reeds and electronics, Aisha Kahlil’s transcendent vocals, and Glenn Howell’s pulsing bass create a sound that’s both rooted and cosmic, as Dusty Groove raves. Tracks like “The Ocean Moves Primitively” and “Synthetic Variation” soar, though “Stagflation”’s brevity and dated electronics slightly dim the shine. Its 1975 obscurity, as inconstantsol.blogspot.com laments, was jazz’s loss, but its 2018 revival proves its timeless power. In a year of disco and economic woes, Infinite Sound crafted a revolution, like a trio preaching unity while the world argued over gas prices.

So, snag the Aguirre reissue, cue up “Spanish Tale,” and let Infinite Sound’s grooves transport you to a 1975 rally where the future was being born. Just don’t expect the mainstream to catch up; they’re still trying to figure out what “stagflation” means. And if anyone calls it “just free jazz,” tell them it’s the sound of a culture reaching for infinity—then watch them scramble for the vinyl.