Phil Ranelin & Wendell Harrison: “Tribe 2000” (2024) CD Review

In 1972, Wendell Harrison and Philip Ranelin released Message From The Tribe, the first of the Tribe albums (which was issued with a different cover in 1973 and again in 1974). The Tribe was a jazz collective exploring social issues of the black community in the 1970s not only through music but also in print. There was a Tribe magazine which, as I understand it, was at first handed out for free at concerts and then produced quarterly.  Trombone player Phil Ranelin and saxophone player Wendell Harrison founded Tribe in the early 1970s, as an independent label as well as a group, and though it was basically over by the end of the decade, the two musicians have worked together since then. Tribe 2000 was recorded in 2000, and features on most tracks, in addition to Ranelin and Harrison, George Davidson on drums, Harold McKinney on piano, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, and Ralphe Armstrong on bass. Most of the tracks here were composed by Phil Ranelin, and include a couple from the 1970s that he is revisiting.

The album opens with “He The One We All Knew” which has a bit of a “Take Five” thing happening at the start, and quickly grows and expands, the music delivered with a sense of excitement and fun. There are many voices here, each of them rising with its own clear message, its own point to get across, yet they all work together to create something fascinating and appealing. I love how no instrument is subservient to the others, yet the track manages to avoid chaos and cacophony. The saxophone, trumpet and trombone all shine, and there is some particularly wonderful stuff on piano in the second half. This is a piece that Phil Ranelin included on his first solo album, The Time Is Now, which also featured the work of Wendell Harrison, Marcus Belgrave and George Davidson. Things then get kind of bluesy with “Senate And Thirteenth,” and it is the piano at first that is in control of the direction of things. There is some very cool stuff here, the music creating a strong sense of atmosphere. Then Phil Ranelin and Wendell Harrison take the piece into some delicious territory, along with Marcus Belgrave on trumpet. That cool groove keeps things from rushing forward. There is a great soulful vibe to this track, and a good energy as well. It contains a delicious bass solo in the second half, and there is a moving beauty to the playing at the piece’s conclusion. This is one of my personal favorites. It is another that Phil Ranelin is revisiting. His 1974 record The Time Is Now contains a track that is a different version of this piece, there titled “13th And Senate.”

In 1996, Phil Raneline released a tune (and an album) titled “A Close Encounter Of The Very Best Kind,” its title clearly a play on the title of the Steven Spielberg movie Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. Here we get “Third Encounter,” which has a catchy rhythm. There is something wonderfully playful about this one, and it feels like a grand dance, both intimate and expansive, covering great areas of space. It seems to urge us to let go of our past and hold on for the ride. Check out that work on saxophone. And there is room here for each musician to create something exciting and special in those lead sections. We even get a drum solo, which is fantastic. I love the way it rolls in and takes over. That’s followed by the album’s sole cover, “Cold Duck,” which was composed by Eddie Harris (and is also known as “Cold Duck Time”). It announces itself as a very cool rendition from those opening moments. On the back of the CD case, a different band is listed for just the final track, but it seems that group of musicians also plays on this track. That’s Tom Starr on drums, John Arnold on guitar, Pamela Wise on piano, and Ralphe Armstrong on bass, along with Phil Ranelin and Wendell Harrison. This is a fun rendition, and I’m especially digging that funky element on bass. Everything about this track feels good. And, yes, there is an excellent lead on guitar in the second half. The album then concludes with “Freddie’s Groove,” which features that same group of musicians. This is a piece that Phil Ranelin included on his Inspiration album. The bass again sets the tone, the pace, and there is a strong, hopping energy to this track. We’re all moving forward, pushing forward, dancing forward.

CD Track List

1. He The One We All Knew
2. Senate And Thirteenth
3. Third Encounter
4. Cold Duck
5. Freddie’s Groove

Tribe 2000 was released on October 18, 2024 through Org Music.