THE AWAKENING - Hear, Sense And Feel (Limited Remastered Blue With Black Swirl Vinyl)

The Awakening were the only "group"
recorded by Black Jazz, for which they made
two albums; those two releases happen to
be among the most collectible in the label's
entire catalog. Recorded in 1972, Hear,
Sense, and Feel marked the band's debut,
and featured the same line-up that played
on next year's Mirage. Being from Chicago,
The Awakening's line-up unsurprisingly
boasts a heavy connection to the AACM
(Association for the Advancement of
Creative Musicians) collective that claimed
The Art Ensemble of Chicago among its most esteemed artists; in fact, both bassist Reggie Willis and
tenor saxman/flautist Ari Brown were AACM members and appeared on albums with Muhal Richard
Abrams, Lester Bowie, and Anthony Braxton among others. The other members of The Awakening,
on the other hand, hailed from the city's soul jazz scene, specifically Young Holt Unlimited, for whom
co-leaders trumpeter Frank Gordon and keyboardist Ken Chaney played (trombonist Steve Galloway
played on Melvin Jackson's soul jazz classic Funky Skull). And it is that sweet spot, somewhere
between the free jazz and Afrocentric explorations of the Art Ensemble and the rhythm-heavy soul
jazz sound being recorded at Chicago-based labels like Brunswick and Cadet, that Hear, Sense and
Feel lands. This blue with black swirl vinyl edition features liner notes by Pat Thomas, author of Listen,
Whitey! The Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975, that set the scene for both the label and the
band. Limited to just 500 copies!

Vinyl release of The Awakening - Hear, Sense And Feel (Limited Remastered Blue With Black Swirl Vinyl). Released through Real Gone Music and available on LP.