Pioneering Brooklyn-born trumpeter Eddie Gale passed away on July 10, aged 78. He began his career as a sideman with legendary jazz artists, such as Sun Ra, Larry Young and Cecil Taylor. He later forged his own path as a bandleader. In 1968, he released his debut album, Eddie Gale’s Ghetto Music. The record is universally celebrated to this day as one of the best protest and spiritual jazz albums of the time.
Eddie Gale’s Ghetto Music is also defined by powerful, forward-thinking aesthetics, seamlessly blending late ’60s jazz with wide-ranging styles. The opening track is “The Rain,” a deeply moving, spiritual piece. Folk-like acoustic guitar strumming and the voice of Eddie’s sister Jo Ann open the song. Soon, they are joined by the sonic explosion of Gale’s full 17-member ensemble – complete with a pulsating swinging jazz beat – and an 11-member chorus.
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