The only group on the Black Jazz roster, The Awakening today should
be heralded as one of the great bands in early 70s jazz. That theyre not is
the result of the Black Jazz labels distribution woes; witness the fact that
original copies of both of their records for the imprint command prices in the
hundreds of dollars if you can find them at all. Mirage is their second (1973)
album, the last one they made together; it boasts the same Chicago-based,
AACM-centric line-up as the first, with the notable addition of bassist Rufus
Reid on a couple of tracks. Spiritual jazz, free jazz, soul jazz, fusion jazz,
you name itThe Awakening take all those threads common to early
70s African-American music and, like any great ensemble, weave them
into a beautiful sonic garment thats greater than the sum of its parts.
The Mirage is a bit less political/pan-African than Hear, Sense and Feel,
its predecessor, which definitely owed some of its feel to the bands Art
Ensemble of Chicago/AACM roots; this record is a little more abstract, a
little more varied in its moods and textural coloring, yet no less powerful
and transporting. Our Real Gone release represents the first time Mirage has been reissued on LP; it comes newly
remastered (by Mike Milchner at Sonic Vision) and with new liner notes by Pat Thomas. A record to discover, savor, and treasure.