From Charles Mingus to Bakithi Kumalo, Afropop tries to be the outlet
that properly reveres bassists, and so we’re understandably chuffed
to premiere this new track from a man who needs no frets and only a
mild introduction: Charnett Moffett.
Go ahead and hit play on Soundcloud or Spotify if you’ve got it, and we’ll talk.
Moffett was born into the jazz world: From the beginning, jazz was the shape of his life to come. His father drummed for Ornette Coleman, and after a brief stint at Julliard when he was 16, Moffett joined the Wynton Marsalis Quintet. The list of people he’s played with is something of a who’s-who of late 20th century jazz: Coleman, Art Blakey, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Arturo Sandoval, up to Harry Connick Jr. and Bette Midler.
“Spirit and Bride Song,” led by Moffett’s bass and vocals with help from longtime guitarist and vocalist Jana Herzen and drummer Corey Garcia, sits at the intersection of swing, spiritual and free jazz, a testament to how playing with everyone allows one to sound truly like no one else. It is music where the rhythm instruments take the melody and vocals hold the beat.
It is the first single from Moffett’s 17th album as a composer, New Love out on June 11, digitally, with physical release to follow in late summer 2021, via the label Motéma Music. You can order the track right here.
