Albums like Mwandishi and crossings?

Larry Young - Lawrence of Newark

 

Also, check out this film of the Tony Williams Lifetime at Montreux in 1971:

 

There is also early Weather Report to consider.

 

Ego would be a good place to start with TWL if he likes Crossings...

 

Hooffoot

 

Thirsty Moon

 

IMO, this is the spaciest Lonnie Liston Smith track:


Most people would choose Lonnie's "Astral Traveling" but I find this one really hits the spot.
After Lonnie's first couple of albums, there isn't a lot to recommend.

 

I spent a few years scoping out Mwandishi-related artists. I fully understand your need to find similar artists. For me, the appealing aspect of Mwandishi was its chaotic, unpredictable nature that produced music that did not push me away.

Alice Coltane has a varied catalog. I like her 1970/1971 era that featured tambura (a stringed instrument from India that produces a drone sound) and harmonium in addition to her harp. The harp/tambura/harmonium combination creates a trippy, spacey sound that can be intoxicating. Although it doesn't replicate the Mwandishi sound (the chaos factor was not the same), the effect on me is similar.

Pharoah Sanders on tenor sax.

Without the tambura and harmonium found on Ptah The El Daoud and Journey to Satchidanada, Alice's music doesn't connect with me.

 

Pharoah Sanders put out some wonderful stuff. Most can be a chaotic and hard to digest.

No chaos on this one. This spacey treat features tambura and harmonium in a heavenly, blissfully trippy track:

More than anything that I have ever heard, this track makes me float away into space.

 

Norman Connors' early albums were heavily influenced by the Mwandishi band. Herbie Hancock is included on this track:

Lots of enjoyable polyrhythmic mayhem.

 

This Pharoah Sanders track has the polyrhythmic chaos that is reminiscent of Mwandishi:

 

Classic track from Mwandishi member Julian Priester recorded the year the band broke up:

Mwandishi member Pat Gleason on synth.

 

the live albums from around that time are great too - Hemispheres & Live In Bremen

 

Santana meets Bitches Brew with a groovy trumpet on top:

Luis Gasca - For Those Who Chant



Quite literally Santana - Carlos Santana, Neil Schon, Mike Shrieve, Mike Carabello, Jose "Chepito" Areas, Greg Rolie from the Santana band are on the album.

Plus, among others, Joe Henderson on sax and Stanley Clarke on bass...

 

One more from the above album. This one has a heavy In a Silent Way vibe.

 

Some good recommendations on here, but I'd like to give one that is a bit more on the traditional side: Eric Dolphy's Out To Lunch. Not trippy per se, but I think it has many o the same qualities that you seem to like about these other albums. And its a stone cold classic.

 

I want to support some recommendations which have already been made:

Julian Priester - Love, Love (and it shares some of the Mwandishi band's musicians)
Kollektiv - s/t
Dedalus - s/t
Larry Young - Lawrence of Newark
Norman Connors - Dark of Light & Dance of Magic


And I'd add:

Perigeo (from Italy)- Azimut

John McLaughlin - Devotion (it's probably more solidly a trippy jazz/rock album than cosmic jazz [not really "fusion" BTW] but I think it might scratch the itch you describe here - and it has the awesome Larry Young on organ)

Pharoah Sanders - Village of the Pharoahs (a little inconsistent but the side-long title suite is the most psychedelic/cosmic piece I've ever heard from him. It's brilliant.)


...and probably some others which I'll add when I remember them.

 

So if I'm reading this right, you haven't heard his 2nd RTF record; Light As A Feather? If you liked the 1st one, you should like the 2nd. It's more organized and tight with arguably Chick's "greatest hit"; Spain on it (BTW, at the time of these releases Flora Purim was Downbeat singer of the year!). Don't know if it translates to 'spacey' though. Joe Farrell recorded a trio of albums on CTI that might scratch the itch; JF Quartet, Outback, & Moon Germs

 

No I haven't, but I'm familiar with Spain.

 

Weather Report - I Sing the Body Electric
Pharoah Sanders - Thembi
Dewey Redman- Ear of the Behearer
Eddie Henderson -Sunburst
Billy Harper - Black Saint

 

Thanks to the OP for starting conversation, and to all suggestions - looks like some great stuff to follow up on here.

Definitely support the recommendations for Sun Ra (particularly Lanquidity), and Miles Davis (particularity In A Silent Way, and Jack Johnson is fantastic also).

 

Thanks for this recommendation!
Any thoughts on Gasca's follow-up album Born To Love You featuring Mwandishi members Julian Priester and Michael Henderson?

 

IASW is essential music, not just Miles but everything. And its really the jumping off point for what the OP is looking for. Filles de Kilamanjaro may be up his alley as well.

 

Electric Masada (don't be put off by the opening few minutes, plenty of spacey Rhodes later on!)