Oneness Of Juju: Space Jungle Luv [STRUT]

Why you'll love it

This Strut reissue was remastered by The Carvery and keeps Muzi Branch's original cover painting, with new liner notes and an interview with bandleader James "Plunky" Branch. The album pairs African percussion with funk and soul, led by Lady Eka-Ete's vocals.

This edition

• Remastered by The Carvery
• Original cover art
• New liner notes and interview
• Pressed in Germany
• Stereo mix

About the album

Richmond, Virginia isn't the first place most people picture when they think of cosmic jazz, which is rather the point. After years in New York's avant-garde scene with Juju, saxophonist James "Plunky" Branch moved south, gathered new players and built Oneness of Juju around African rhythms, funk and R&B. DJ and distributor Jimmy "Black Fire" Gray put out their records, and the first one, African Rhythms, did big business locally.

Space Jungle Luv, the follow-up, drifts toward what Branch called "a more mellow, spiritual direction," shaped around Lady Eka-Ete's voice. He has named Pharoah Sanders, George Clinton and Sun Ra as touchstones, and Joe Bonner, pianist in Sanders' band, sits in. New guitarist Melvin Glover adds harp-like textures, "River Luv Rite" opens in a warm glow, and "Space Jungle Funk" stretches out into a deep, spacey groove.

Gray and Branch produced it together, and Strut now brings it back as part of its Black Fire reissue series. Branch later took the band into the 80s under new names, though the space jungle, we're pleased to report, stayed open.

Also at Kops: more Oneness of Juju on vinyl · browse Modern Jazz

Tracklist

Listen

On Strut (cat# STRUT243LP), a reissue of the 1976 album.