A Message From The Tribe Complete Edition [Low-priced Reissue]

Wendell Harrison and Phil Ranelin's A Message From The Tribe is the spiritual jazz cornerstone from Detroit's Tribe collective—co-founders Harrison (tenor sax, clarinet, vibes) and Ranelin (trombone) teaming up for what was essentially the label's launch statement. This "Complete Edition" gathers the original split-LP material (Harrison's side, Ranelin's side), plus extended/full takes, alternate mixes, and bonus tracks pulled from the multitrack masters—often remixed/remastered under the artists' supervision in recent years for that crisp, deep-groove clarity. True Detroit underground: conscious, modal, Afro-centric spiritual jazz with heavy percussion, righteous horns, and a revolutionary undercurrent that nods to the Black Power era without preaching. The core lineup features Tribe heavyweights like Charles Moore (trumpet/flugelhorn), Marcus Belgrave (trumpet), Harold McKinney or others on keys/percussion, and a rhythm section that locks in like family. Around 40-50+ minutes depending on the edition, but the expanded versions add depth without filler. remixed from original tapes (shoutout Bernie Grundman cuts on some vinyl), the bass is thunderous, horns have bite, and the spiritual percussion (congas, bells) floats in the mix without mud. It's rawer than mainstream fusion of the era—less electric gloss, more acoustic fire and message. Think Strata-East or early Black Jazz, but with Detroit's gritty soul. In the '70s, while everyone else was chasing disco or fusion fireworks, Tribe dropped this like a manifesto whispered in a basement cipher—deep, committed, and zero interest in crossing over to the Top 40. It's the jazz equivalent of showing up to the party with a pamphlet instead of a disco ball. And somehow, it grooves harder for it. One of the greatest Tribe releases, now fully realized in these complete editions—underrated no more, thanks to Now-Again and reissue waves. If you're into Pharoah Sanders' spiritual side, Doug Carn, or the Motor City's jazz underground, this is holy grail stuff.