An Album a Day #2026-14

Notes

At a certain point, if you listen to enough "spiritual jazz" you start to notice a concerning pattern: the kinds of instruments used matter more than the notes played on them.

Bright Sparkling Light by English trumpeter Matthew Halsall isn't bad. It's just not very good. It has all the trappings of meditative music: sweet melodies, simple rhythms played by a white dude on African or Asian percussion, flutes, and harps. It's nice to listen to. That's it. Nice.

But here's the thing. Good "spiritual jazz" isn't calming, although it can be. Good "spiritual jazz" isn't sweet, although it can be. Good "spiritual jazz" isn't smooth, although it can be. What good spiritual jazz is is introspective. It peers into your psyche and lays bare the truth. It is a world of contradictions, of dark and light, of good and evil, of joy and sorrow, of sweetness and bitterness.

"Spiritual jazz" that only acknowledges one half of the spirit isn't spiritual, it's dogmatic. Save your dogma for Sunday morning. I want something I can listen to all week long.

Listen

What is "An Album a Day"?

Each day in 2026, I'm listening to an album that:

1. I've never heard before
2. Was released in the last six months (from the time of listening)