Frank London: Spirit Stronger Than Blood

ESP-DISK (RECORDED JULY 2023)

Trumpeter Frank London steps out from the shadows of the Klezmatics and radical Jewish music to deliver Spirit Stronger Than Blood, a release inspired by some of his favorite jazz recordings. The opening track, “Let There Be Peace” starts with a prayer-like melody reminiscent of Alice Coltrane’s music before it explodes into a joyous and soulful melody one might hear on classic Strata-East sessions. On the beautifully written and emotionally played “Poem for a Blue Voice,” London and saxophonist Greg Wall capture the mood of Charles Mingus’ classic Changes date from the mid 1970s. “Resilience” has the feel of a Horace Silver or Art Blakey tune from the Bluenote era. Despite all the jazz references, including London’s musical references to Lester Bowie, Woody Shaw and Booker Little, there is still something quite Jewish about many of these tunes, which are inspired by Jewish texts. London plays the role of a chazzan (the singer who leads the chanting in synagogues) as he pleads his case on “Spirit Stronger Than Blood.” Its four-note melody captures the refrain “Lord, hear our prayer,” from “Mi Sheberach,” the Jewish prayer for healing, Much like a chazzan chanting, London growls, shouts, whispers and blurts his way through the hypnotic Middle Eastern mood of “Abundant Love.” And nothing says Jewish influence more than the kwetch that closes “Resistance,” the final tune on this emotionally-laden session. Spirit Stronger Than Blood is more than a spiritual and powerful recording for London and The Elders (Marilyn Lerner on piano, Hillard Greene on bass, Newman Taylor-Baker on drums and Greg Wall on sax), it is a powerful prayer for health as London undergoes bone marrow transplant surgery. I wish London a refuah shlema (Hebrew for a complete and speedy recovery) so he can continue to bring us inspiring music in the years to come.

BOTTOM LINE: Jelly Roll Morton spoke of the Spanish tinge. Frank London exemplifies the Jewish tinge on Spirit Stronger Than Blood, a “top-of-the-2024 list” that melds some of London’s jazz influences (e.g. Alice Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Booker Little and Clifford Thorton) with the improvisational skills and emotion of a true chazzan.