Huge Tip! Frederiksberg Records proudly presents the reissue of The People's People Present The Spirit of David, a remarkable testament to artistic ambition and collective discipline that emerges from the depths of private-press obscurity. This singular album, originally recorded in 1974 and released in 1976, represents one of the most extraordinary achievements in spiritual jazz history - a work so meticulously prepared and passionately executed that it transcends its humble origins to become essential listening.
The album marks the first original work by tenor saxophonist Jeff Jones, who arranged, wrote, and conceptualized this ambitious project with a vision that extended far beyond music itself. That same transformative year, Jones founded The People's People collective and The Voice of the People Publishing Company, establishing a platform dedicated to using music and the arts to give voice to the voiceless during an era of profound social upheaval. What makes The Spirit of David truly extraordinary is its creation story - a testament to artistic dedication that borders on the obsessive. Jeff Jones demanded that his musicians commit to three years of intensive preparation, functioning as what he described as "like the army" in terms of discipline and focus. Participants were forbidden from taking paying gigs during this period, while Jones, saving his capital for precious studio time, could not afford to feed or pay the band. This monastic approach to music-making resulted in something unprecedented: the entire album was performed in one continuous take, with the ensemble so thoroughly rehearsed that the record's myriad breaks and deft orchestration changes were accomplished without visual cues.
The musical result is a hypnotic, emotive soundscape that weaves spiritual jazz with elements of soul, world music, and electric funk. The performance resonates deeply with the era's social unrest while expressing a profound longing for unity and transcendence that feels remarkably contemporary. The band - featuring Emmons Porter on bass vocals, Jack Spinovich on drums, Leonard Franklin on guitar, Ray Vega on percussion and congas, and Steve Espanosa on piano - delivers a deeply cohesive and textured performance that stands among the finest achievements in collective improvisation. This reissue comes courtesy of Frederiksberg Records, a label founded in 2013 by Danish video journalist Andreas Vingaard in New York. The label has established itself as a crucial voice in excavating forgotten musical treasures, and their approach to The Spirit of David demonstrates their commitment to both sonic fidelity and historical context.
The album's elusive history only deepens its mystique, inviting renewed exploration by contemporary listeners hungry for authentic spiritual expression in music. The original pressing's scarcity has made it a holy grail among collectors and spiritual jazz enthusiasts, with original copies commanding extraordinary prices when they occasionally surface.
This mystique is further illuminated through extensive liner notes by guitarist and composer Karl Evangelista, whose detailed research provides essential context and insight into the album's creation and cultural significance. Evangelista's work reveals the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the recording, painting a picture of artistic dedication that seems almost impossible in today's musical landscape.
From Karl Alfonso Defensor Evangelista's liner notes: "Jones had musicians commit to three years of preparation, and he was a harsh taskmaster; music was drilled - 'like the army,' as Jones describes it. Participants were more or less forbidden from taking paying gigs in the interim, and the bandleader, saving most of his capital for studio time, could not afford to feed or pay the band. The ensemble was so thoroughly rehearsed by the time of the session that the entire record was performed in one take, and the album's myriad breaks and deft orchestration changes were accomplished without visual cues."
