Black Renaissance - Black Renaissance

Harry Whitaker is a piano player, producer and arranger who on Martin Luther King day in 1976, at the age of 26, recorded Black Renaissance Body, Mind, and Spirit, a holy grail amongst collectors of soul-jazz and rare groove. So rare, it's virtually a myth to many collectors and music aficionados, and one that a few people I know have spent a fair amount of money on including myself. It is one of those records that isn't only aided in the legendary status by its rarity but also by the supreme musicianship on offer by all the players. To add to that the album was basically bootlegged by a Japanese label called Baystate, who never bothered to inform Whitaker as to its release. When Baystate folded, copies virtually vanished, leaving Whitaker with no distribution, no money, and no way to hear the actual LP. To make matters worse, the master tapes of the recording were destroyed in a fire. Thankfully Ubiquity Records somehow managed to acquire the rights to the album and re-released it a few years ago much to the chagrin of those of us who had dropped $350+ on a copy. This is a record that is compulsory for any record collection - superb stuff.

Black Renaissance - Black Renaissance