Bowie's European Gospel-Jazz Fusion Statement
Creative jazz and a progressive gospel segment—Bowie at his eclectic best, essential listening.
Lester Bowie was never interested in staying put, and The 5th Power (1978) captures him mid-stride, leading a touring group called From the Roots to the Source across Europe. This isn't a departure for him so much as a crystallization of what he'd been working toward: a hybrid sound that fused hard bop saxophone, gospel organ, and experimental trumpet work without apology. The album swings when it needs to and ventures into deeper spiritual territory when Bowie decides the moment calls for it.
Arthur Blythe on alto and Amina Claudine Myers on piano drive most of the heavy lifting here, with Malachi Favors anchoring the low end and Phillip Wilson on percussion keeping the pulse alive. What makes this recording stand apart from Bowie's studio work is the energy—these are live performances, full of risk and spontaneity. The group locks in when it matters, but there's also space for individual musicians to explore without formula. Myers' playing is particularly striking, folding gospel vocabulary into post-bop harmonic language. Bowie himself plays with restraint on several tracks, letting his bandmates breathe before stepping in with his own voice.
AllMusic reviewer Michael G. Nastos recognized what was at stake here, calling it essential—a fair assessment for an album that shows Bowie's gift for assembling musicians who genuinely wanted to expand what jazz could contain. It's not his most famous work, but for anyone interested in what he was actually doing in the late 1970s, this is required hearing.
Who's playing
Malachi Favorsbass
Amina Claudine Myerspiano
Arthur Blythealto saxophone
Lester Bowietrumpet
Phillip Wilsonmembranophone
Where next?
More by Lester Bowie
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