Track Listing

1. Invocation
2. Spirits
3. Truth Is Marching In
4. Saints
5. Bells

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #138321 in Music
• Released on: 2005-05-03
• Number of discs: 1

Album Description
"From crusty garage rock to graceful classical, sculpted white noise to sultry Afro-Cuban grooviness, the New York native is a master of myriad musical forms and a slave to none…nowhere in Ribot’s discography is this more evident than on Spiritual Unity, an extraordinary tribute to the late free-jazz pioneer Albert Ayler." – SAN FRANCISCO WEEKLY

Customer Reviews

punk jazz
I sort of edged into this sideways - as a 40 something ex-punk (wait, I'm still a punk, scratch that ex part) - and musician (guitar, drums) I've long been on the lookout for inspired noise. Earlier a reviewer notioned that Captain Beefheart can be heard in some of this work - and I agree wholeheartedly. It's just good solid fun giving up the usual pop-song form to enjoy the pure sounds of instruments that dance with each other - but perhaps also, dance apart from one another.

I don't care who is the world's greatest guitar player. No truely Punk rock inspired person ever will - because it has nothing to do with being able to create brilliant and inspiring music. If Johnny Ramone could write songs with two barr chord forms (and let's face it, he could have had his hand broken and set in either an A or E barr form, and the ramones would not have suffered much! In fact, ever see him play? His middle finger is UNDER the fret board for his A forms!) and still inspire a million people to pick up instruments and learn to play (instead of waiting around til they could do what Robert Frip does) He'd have to be called an inspiring guitarist, though obviously, technically his playing is more endurance based.
Ribot is sometimes said to be 3rd rate as a jazz musician, and I find the phrase meaningless and silly. After all, every time some guitar rag, full of advertising, lists the most influential guitarists of blah blah blah - the list is almost always the same group of tired classic rock and popular musicians that the kids vote for - there's very little new or interesting happening there. We've heard it!
Ribot is exciting, different, and very inspiring in his approach, tone, and even sleeve art and titles.
You must here Postizos off the Y los postizos cubanos album, to understand where I'm coming from. Lots of fun.

Been there
Yes, they are monsters when on stage. But beware, it could make a confusion - a friend of mine ran away from the club after 15 minutes of Ribot's & Ayler's controlled chaos. Wanderful, but not for everybodys ears. However, the recording is less disturbing, almost pleasant.

spitual unity
marc ribot is one of our most interesting guitars along with bill frisell. ribot has recognized albert ayler as the great jazz composer, improviser, and performer. ayler's compositions are the great dark ones of jazz. perhaps now ribot or frisell should tackle bix beiderbecke's work.