Spirit Music
Spirit Music is a live jazz album by pianist Marilyn Crispell. It was recorded in New York City—two sessions at New York University on May 15, 1981 and at Soundscape on January 13, 1982—and released in 1983 by Cadence Jazz Records (CJR 1015). Crispell is joined by violinist Billy Bang, guitarist Wes Brown, and drummer John Betsch, with all pieces composed by Crispell.
The album is dedicated to John Coltrane and reflects her encounter with A Love Supreme, capturing long, intense improvisations. The four tracks unfold at a steady, exploratory pace, and Brown’s guitar sometimes turns the group into a quartet alongside Bang’s violin.
Critics praised Spirit Music as a strong introduction to Crispell’s avant-garde piano. AllMusic highlights her powerful voice and the compelling energy of the performances, while the Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings calls it well recorded, intense, and well balanced, even with Brown’s guitar fitting in surprisingly well with Bang’s violin. Tom Moon, in 1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die, suggests Spirit Music as a good follow-up to Cecil Taylor’s Silent Tongues.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 17:58 (CET).