Rexorcist It's true that by this point, the world of spiritual jazz has been almost completely explored to its fullest potential. We've been all around the universe with it, from the highest reaches of space, to the psychedelia of Hindustani music and to the gloriously tribal sounds of African music. The later here is lightly replicated by English jazz band Maisha on theit debut album, There Is a Place.

Lemme tell you, I usually feel really good about a band that's able to replicate the vibes of an older group. This brings me back to my recent discoery of the genre tag "pizza thrash," which is used to describe modern thrash with an 80's feel. My mind immediately went to Havok. Maisha is a bit like that. I feel right back with the classic acts like Pharoah Sanders here, because the band's understanding of delivering a spiritual presence is practically perfect. From an atmosphere point, their debut probably rivals the power of Alice Coltrane's jazz AND new age classics. Having said that, I think the actual "compositions" here are more simple than the classics, and a little lackluster in comparison. The entire time I was soaking in the heavenly vibes, I also felt that the rhythms were ones I had heard before.

Maisha's got big things going for them if they keep up their strong presence and improve their imagination. This debut shows a lot of promise for this group and I'll be eagerly following their career from now on. This has a perfect presence about it, but it needs a bit more rhythmic flair.

snobb Looking from the few years distance on what were a roots of amazing London young jazz scene of today, Maisha's debut requires bigger attention. SE London sextet led by drummer Jake Long plays live on this short release and they do it really well.

Everyone familiar with spiritual jazz legacy from 60s and 70s will easily hear in their music Pharoah Sanders soulful tunes, Alice Coltrane meditative beauty and John Coltrane ecstatic sax soloing. Just three songs but the listener gets enough to jump in that spiritual jazz magic known from the decades ago once again.

It happened for me to listen Pharoah Sanders playing his old songs just a few years ago (yes, he is really popular again, at least in Europe), and it was a great possibility to touch a legend. Still, he sounds now more like a history even if there are already a generation of two who never heard his name before. Maisha play his music (or music which was his and some others almost half a century ago)in a way that makes this music sounding actual again. For young listeners just founding their jazz the band brings that spirit and a beauty of jazz often as a very new experience.

Quite relaxed compositions are all beautiful, with strong jazz roots(post-bop)influence but at the same time scented with African rhythms and enough catchy for being accepted by non-jazz listeners. Sax player Nubya Garcia delivers solos Pharoah himself would be proud of(soon after she will leave starting extremely successful solo career) and participation of electric guitarist Shirley Tetteh injects true blood to this beautiful musical body.

Maisha will release their full-size debut album in 2018 on Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Recordings with wider distribution and stronger support but everyone interested in best new London's jazz could be interested in listening to their first release - this small album is worth to be heard.