Tisziji Muñoz With Paul Shaffer – When Coltrane Calls Session 2: Liberation First

Featuring Tisziji Munoz on guitar & compositions, Paul Shaffer on piano, Don Pate & George Koller on acoustic basses and Rakalam Bob Moses & Tony Falco on drums. Longtime David Letterman Show keyboard wiz/sidekick, Paul Shaffer, has been friends with spiritual/guitarist Tisziji Munoz since they met in Toronto in the early seventies. Mr. Shaffer has also helped/promoted Munoz on many occasions culminating in concerts at the Underground and Dizzy’s. Being a well-known TV personality, Mr. Shaffer rarely gets the recognition he deserves as a gifted keyboard player. Each of the half dozen discs on which Mr. Shaffer has worked with Munoz, show how to be an important part of Munoz’ magical/spiritual sound. This is the second session that Mr. Munoz has dedicated to the godfather of spiritual jazz, John Coltrane. For the last few years, Munoz has expanded his band by doubling his rhythm team: two bassists and two drummers and rather than cluttering their sound, they sound like one united spirit. “The Heart’s Way” starts out slowly and builds, ascending throughout. Mr. Shaffer takes a strong solo, waves upon waves, until Munoz finally comes back, the intensity increasing as the soar together. My favorite piece is the oddly titled, “Dead Guitar Player Completely on Fire!”, another one of those memorable simmering modal melodies that Munoz excels in composing. Mr. Munoz slows down the tempo midway so we get a chance to appreciate each note before the energy increases into those stratospheric, lightning-like licks. Munoz always concludes with something uplifting, pushing his sextet higher and higher. “Playing the Planet and Saving Humanity” is the grand conclusion, once again, building and then sailing heaven-wards. This music does obviously come from the heart and fires up our souls once again. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG