Grachan Moncur III, Echoes of Prayer (side A)

Some of Grachan Moncur's canonical Blue Note albums from the 60s tend toward introspection, but by 1975's Echoes of Prayer, he captured a much higher-energy approach. Moncur's version of the Jazz Composer's Orchestra, which varied from release to release, was notable for an African percussion group called the Tanawa Dance Ensemble, whose playing gives a constant sense of propulsion to the piece, frequently obscuring one of my favorite drummers, Beaver Harris. There are overt "jazz" solos and melodies that jump between instruments with careful compositional skill. Echoes of Prayer is both serious and playful, and a very rewarding listen.