Palm Of Soul

new orleans tenor saxophone legend kidd jordan's annual treks north to perform late-night sets with windy city tenor legend fred anderson during the run of the chicago jazz festival have become an institution. though anderson isn't featured on palm of soul, recorded in brooklyn a few weeks after hurricane katrina destroyed jordan's home, two of the mainstays of those afterfest gigs, chicago drummer hamid drakeand new york bassist william parker, are. "we're used to playing together," says jordan, who not only thrives on their company on this spiritually charged session, he also thrives on the wider open spaces he has to work in. the spirit of john coltrane hovers over the incantatory passages and charged, repeating phrases, and the ghost of albert ayler is detected in the squalls that climax 'living peace' after nearly 15 minutes of loping reflection. but with the remarkable drake also playing frame drums and tablas in conjunction with parker's african guimbri and gongs, there is an elemental strength and elegant sense of control to this music that give it a quality all its own.