Pianist/Composer Nate Morgan was one of the key players in the unique stable of artists that recorded for the powerful, yet woefully overlooked Nimbus record label of Santa Barbara, California some 30 years ago. 'Journey Into Nigritia' and 'Retribution, Reparation' are two of three dates that Morgan cut for the label, and with his modal approach that draws from the same well of spirituality as 'A Love Supreme,' they are in my opinion among the best of the label's many fine and varied offerings.

As a brief background, Nimbus was a short-lived independent that mined the same rich musical vein as the great Strata-East, Black Jazz and Tribe labels who preceded. Along with majors like Impulse!, they collectively set the bar for spiritual jazz in the post-Coltrane years. Nimbus operated from the mid-70's to the early 1980's with pianist Horace Tapscott the company's most notable name. His labelmates, despite their relative obscurity, were considered to be among the foremost purveyors of soul and spiritual jazz from the Left Coast underground of the period. Tapscott formed and recorded the ever challenging Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, while Kaeef Rauzadun put together the equally evocative Creative Arts Ensemble with Henry Franklin, George Bohannon and vocalist B.J. Crowley, bringing to mind the transcendent recordings of Doug and Jean Carn for Black Jazz. Nimbus also showcased the talents of unknown yet compelling players like alto saxophonist Gary Bias, flautist Adele Sebastian and pianist Curtis Clark, as well as the righteous tones of Jesse Sharps, Billie Harris and Dadisi Komolafe.

The Nimbus roster as a whole echoed the avant-garde leanings of Chicago's AACM, although a few contributors like Morgan leaned more toward modal meditations offering propulsive, rhythmic nuance and infinite intensity, each player searching for and finding supreme expression. Morgan and his cohorts could also slip into a post-bop bag with equal alacrity, as demonstrated in 'One Finger Snap' and 'Come Sunday,' both included in this week's mix.

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