Lewis, James Brandon / Divine Travels
Album: Divine Travels   Collection:Jazz
Artist:Lewis, James Brandon   Added:Feb 2014
Label:Okeh  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2014-02-21 Pull Date: 2014-04-25 Charts: Jazz
Week Ending: Apr 27 Apr 20 Apr 13 Apr 6 Mar 30 Mar 23 Mar 16 Mar 9
Airplays: 1 2 1 1 2 2 3 1

Recent Airplay
1. Jul 27, 2017: No Cover, No Minimum
Divine
4. Apr 17, 2014: Rebop
Wading Child In The Motherless Water
2. Apr 21, 2014: Box of Chocolates
Divine
5. Apr 10, 2014: Rebop
Enclosed
3. Apr 19, 2014: Music Casserole
The Preacher's Baptist Beat
6. Apr 05, 2014: Music Casserole
No Wooden Nickels

Album Review
Fo
Reviewed 2014-03-06
JAMES BRANDON LEWIS: Divine Travels
OKeh, 2014

FREE JAZZ – It’s rare to hear a free-jazz record on a major label, but saxophonist Lewis shows why he made the cut with this bluesy, fully accessible, yet artistically strong release. His sharply-etched tenor leads a top-notch trio with William Parker on bass and Gerald Cleaver on drums. Two tracks (4,9) add spoken word (all FCC clean).

Try any track! Fo’s Picks: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (2,3)

1. 4:47 – calm meditation, mostly sax & bass with drums joining later
2. 7:05 – lopsided circular riffing and slight variations over edgy rhythm
3. 7:49 – a fractured stroll, sax phrases leave lots of room for the bass
4. 4:01 – mopey trio with silky-voiced poetry about the black church
5. 11:26 – blends two old spirituals: deep, powerful, with gathering energy & strong trio interplay
6. 7:42 – great drums envelop wandering sax, settles into a brisk drive
7. 7:02 – meandering trio picks up steam; earthy texture, excellent bass
8. 3:55 – steady rolling rhythmic groove, feels like a traveling song
9. 9:02 – oddly fragmented poem at start & end; trio percolates and shuffles
10. 4:29 – sinuous sax line and a sideways-slinking rhythm, opens up

[ Fo ] – 28 February 2014

Track Listing
1. Divine   6. A Gathering Of Souls
2. Desensitized   7. Enclosed
3. Tradition   8. No Wooden Nickels
4. The Preacher's Baptist Beat   9. Organized Minorities
5. Wading Child In The Motherless Water   10. Travels