Spirit Fiction

Praised for his music s elusive beauty (DownBeat), and for his style informed by tradition but not encumberedby it (Philadelphia City Paper), saxophonist and composer Ravi Coltrane takes a bold step in his creative journey with Spirit Fiction, his Blue Note Records debut . The 11-track album features two different band lineups, each with a unique expressive urgency. Several tracks feature Coltrane s long-term quartet with pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Drew Gress and drummer E.J. Strickland. Coltrane also enlisted a quintet featuring trumpeter Ralph Alessi, pianist Geri Allen, bassist James Genus and drummer Eric Harland the personnel featured on his sophomore release From the Round Box. According to Coltrane, The title, Spirit Fiction is an abstract turn of phrase that came out of a stream of consciousness. The phrase seemed to mesh with the layered, superimposed nature of the title track. It also felt like a gentle indicator of the science involved in recording that track. In some ways, it ultimately refers to the open ended idea of simply embracing imagination. Coltrane s label mate and fellow saxophonist Joe Lovano served as co-producer of the album along with Coltrane. Lovano also plays alongside Coltrane and Allen on Paul Motian s Fantasm and joins the quintet for an explosive version of Ornette Coleman s Check Out Time. Spirit Fiction also includes six original compositions by Coltrane and three by Alessi.