P Vine’s Black Ark Series

[Pim]

In my never ending search for new jazz I hit P-Vine’s ‘Black Ark Series’ on Discogs.

https://www.discogs.com/label/593414-Black-Ark-Series

I am a big fan of the 70s spiritual jazz movement, the labels like Strata East, India Navigation and Muse. To my own shame I must admit that, with a few exceptions, I don’t know any of the artists on the Black Ark Series. 

Anyone here does? Any recommendations? It seems like the stuff for me

 

[felser]

It is the stuff for you (and me).  The Descendents of Mike and Phoebe was a mid-70's Strata-East release by Bill Lee and some of his relatives,   The Ranelin, Harrison, Hammond, Belgrave,and McKinney titles (and maybe some of the others) were from the Tribe Record label, out of Detroit, same vibe.  The Ron English was on Strata Records, also out of Detroit (Kenny Cox's label).  Farrah and Irvine had releases on Strata-East, though they weren't these titles.  Irvine had the whole "spiritual funk jazz" thing down.  I'll let others amplify, correct, and complete my comments.  I own close to half of those titles, and would love to have the others, but titles from that series are expensive to get at this point.

[Pim]

Thanks for the info! Just when you think you probably know all the stuff on the usual labels you discover something new. Unfortunately P Vine is expensive stuff indeed, that is why I asked tips for I do not want to make the wrong choices with this kind of money. 

[Niko]

a few of the albums from this list can be sampled on spotify, e.g., the Abdul Rahim Ibrahim (Doug Carn) album (not a favorite of mine), the Irvine, the Marcus Belgrave, and the Ron English (anything from this series on Strata is on spotify :

https://www.discogs.com/label/498450-180-Proof-Records

)

 

[felser]

If I had to select one title, it would be the Belgrave.   Be sure you have the Doug & Jean Carn albums (start with 'Infant Eyes') and some of the others on Black Jazz before shelling out for these titles.   Also, some of the Strata East titles would take precedence.

[Pim]

Thanks! Had my eye on the Belgrave already. 

Is Strata records linked in anyway to Strata East?

[Niko]

there was a great article about this online some time last year but I can't find it... probably something by our own Mark Stryker...  Strata East was modeled after Kenny Cox's Strata label/project in Detroit... many of the albums actually didn't appear in the day but only recently (like the Sam Sanders which I really like) 

 

edit: this is the thread we head last year (when the Mingus box came out)

and this is the article about Strata I meant:

https://thevinylfactory.com/features/the-archivist-motown-were-a-mafioso-in-detroit-the-story-of-strata-records-with-amir-abdullah/

 

 

Edited June 2, 2019 by Niko

[Pim]

That’s interesting stuff!

[mjazzg]

The Descendents of Mike and Phoebe is great and was reissued by Pure Pleasure last year or so, may be cheaper than the P-Vine issue