SINGLES, JAPANESE EDITION by PHILIP COHRAN & THE ARTISTIC HERITAGE ENSEMBLE

Reviewed by Damon Locks Singles is the third recent reissue of Phil Cohran and the Artistic Heritage Ensemble, and quite possibly the best yet. This is not a pre-existing full-length, but a collection of singles from Cohran’s own Zulu label. The tunes are succinct yet expansive, and the message is focused and concrete. Even the instrumentals are steeped in pro-black sentiment, and the music seems to speak a language of the time to an intended audience. The themes aspire to compliment, uplift and inspire its listeners in their daily lives. Songs like "The African Look" and "Black Beauty" let you know what the intellectual trajectory is: Both comment on the standard of beauty for women set by European standards. The power of Cohran’s music and its celebratory message remains inspiring despite the decades that have passed since its inception. The instrumentals “Frankiphone Blues” and “New Frankiphone Blues” are highlights, and the package design of Singles compliments the contents with a stylish, appealing minimalism. Cohran’s frankiphone — an electric thumb piano from his own design — runs the show on these tunes, reminiscent of Augustus Pablo and his melodica. The rhythmic interplay alone is worth the price of Singles: powerhouse percussionist (and one of the most recorded percussionists in history) Master Henry Gibson can be found behind the congas and timbales. Cohran’s aesthetic compatibility with Sun Ra is still evident — naturally, as Cohran played coronet with Sun Ra — but the music Cohran makes is more earthly, more grounded in time and place: The sound is percussive, horn-propelled, frankiphone-flavored, Afro-centric music.