Tribe 2000 was recorded as Tribe gathered for some educational concerts back in the year 2000, this album features two distinct line-ups, making mellifluous jazz led by Tribe records mainmen Phil Ranelin and Wendell Harrison alongside key musical compadres who have been keeping innovative collaborative jazz alive in Detroit of decades.
The album eases in with He The One We All Knew, Phil's trombone leads this slice of cool laid back jazz, while Wendell's saxophone weaves around the trombone, Marcus Belgrave's trumpet adds colour, all underpinned by some unobtrusive drumming from George Davidson, like they are making languid enquiries into how his syncopation worked, how they can re-invent it with the subtlest of Ralphe Armstrong's bass lines, the trombone and trumpet rise up in battle.
They then take us down to Senate And Thirteenth where Harold McKinney is feathering the ivories, like Dave Brubeck is whispering in his ear to leave plenty of room for a slow meandering trombone part, Dolphy like descents show the sorrow of events of that particular part of Detroit with nods back to the bebop era, fresh impetus is still apparent.
Third Encounter sees them playing all sorts of thirds in differing aspects of laid-back laconic visions, someone must have a third eye looking down on the florid piano runs, triple treat brass stabs, rising and coalescing around Marcus central trumpet solo, the final codas are a somewhat magnificent climax.
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Cold Duck brings a change in musical emphasis, the personnel have changed slightly so that the trumpet has been replaced by John Arnold's guitar, Pamela Wise has taken over on Piano and Tom Starr has jumped onto the drum seat, they are still laid back, but also searching for a stone-cold groove, at the more supine end of the jazz funk strutting universe. John Arnold has certainly been listening to John McLaughlin before unleashing his masterful solo.
The album closes with Freddie's Groove that I guess is in praise of Mr Hubbard the fluid languidity, with a tight groove, eventually everything breaks down to a sophisticated and restrained drum solo from Tom Starr, they slowly build back towards the album's conclusion.
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