The recently rediscovered recording A Rite for all Souls is a gem that I am glad was not lost in time. Recorded nearly five decades ago by Mark Harvey’s group, the music recorded at this live concert could easily pass as music that is pushing the envelope even in today’s musical climate.
Completely improvised, the music is organic and free-flowing, yet there is an organization at the same time. The music tells a story that is full of emotions and various forms of expression. Harvey and saxophonist Peter Bloom seem to be of one mind at all times, no matter what instruments they are playing. The explorative nature of sonoric effects and the changes of instruments allows for a deeper level of communication that mimic the various emotions the human voice is capable of and ideas beyond the realm of humankind. All this is accompanied by the percussion playing of Craig Ellis and Michael Standish who support with colors that match the sounds, sometimes supporting leading with pulsating rhythms, and the most profound part of their playing is their intuitive sense of knowing when to not play. The ensemble’s cohesiveness is first to none, and you can tell they are communicating the entire time and completely immersed in the moment. The four poems that are recited in this work are placed perfectly and add another dimension to the music because of how they are used and the effect it has on the listener. The recitation on Spel Against Demons by Gary Snyder and Napalm: Rice Paper by Craig Ellis speaks of the turbulent times that the group was witnessing and it saddened me that similar accounts have come before this recording and after.
A Rite for all souls, created in response to the turmoil that was going on in the world of 1971 eerily still resonates with the world in 2020 showing how some things seem to move cyclically in the world although time passes on. When I first heard the music all I could think about was the negative aspects that were brought to light, but the central message of this album is one of optimism and I ended feeling a twinge of hope. Considering the climate of our world today in 2020 even a twinge might be far fetched for some at this point, but I do deeply wish that just as the album seems to have foretold things to come in today’s world, that their vision of love and hope is one that will come to fruition, as well as our world, is in much of need of it. This should be required listening for all of humanity as it is one of the most honest examples of the human spirit shining, uninhibited by any constructs, and achieving true freedom.
Photo Credit : Mark Harvey Group Old West Church c1971 Photo by Margot Niederland
Mark Harvey c2015 photo by Kate Matson
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