The Visitors – Motherland (Jazz Dispensary Top Shelf series)
Heavily reminiscent of late-career Coltrane, Motherland is an emotive spiritual soul jazz album by The Visitors, consisting of the alto and tenor sax playing brothers Earl & Carl Grubbs. Originally released in 1975 on the legendary Muse Records imprint and returning to vinyl after five decades. Cut from the original analog tapes (AAA) by Kevin Gray, pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Fidelity Record Pressing, and packaged in a tip-on jacket. — (via Label) — The soulful Philly jazz spirit resonates through all of the Visitors' fourth and final album, 1976's Motherland. Led by brothers Earl Grubbs (soprano and tenor saxophone) and Carl Grubbs (alto saxophone), the Visitors emerged in their native Philadelphia in the late '60s, drawing inspiration from John Coltrane, whom they met while he was married to their cousin Juanita "Naima" Grubbs. Signed to Muse, they released four albums that showcased their vibrant saxophone interplay and featured other luminaries, including at various times, Kenny Barron, Buster Williams, Albert "Tootie" Heath, and Stanley Clarke. Produced by Michael Cuscuna, Motherland finds them leading a group with pianist Joe Bonner, bassist John Lee, and drummer Victor Lewis. Together, they play a warm, sun-dappled style of modal post-bop that balances a hard-swinging East Coast energy with moments of languid, dreamlike spiritual jazz. While not as avant-garde-leaning as similarly inclined acolytes like Pharoah Sanders and Archie Shepp, the Grubbs brothers had an organic quality to their playing that certainly built upon the far-eyed harmonies of Coltrane's late-career work. It's an engaging sound they dig into on the opening "Kimball," a slowly rolling number whose droning bass groove and harmonized sax melody conjure the rising energy of a pre-battle Scottish bagpipe tune. Equally compelling are the title track, a lilting midtempo ballad that spotlights Earl's lyrical soprano, as well as the buoyant, Latin-tinged "Fables of Africa," with both songs nicely evoking the '70s work of Wayne Shorter. They also offer a funky reworking of the standard "Body & Soul," chase each other through the driving "Levels," and conjure a noirish afterglow mood on their reading of "I Want to Talk About You." Sadly, Earl's early death in 1989 brought an end to the Visitors. Still, Carl carried the band's sound forward, moving to Baltimore, where he continued to perform and teach for over 40 years. All of the Visitors' albums are worth checking out, but Motherland stands as the culmination of their brotherly, Coltrane-inspired sound. — (via AllMusic) ↓ Label: Muse Records / Craft Recordings Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo, 180-Gram Reissued: 2026 / Originally Released: 1976 Genre: Jazz Style: Post Bop, Modal, Spiritual Jazz File under: Spiritual Jazz ⦿