Church of the Friendly Ghost presents the Rajah C Quartet

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Rajah C Quartet at SVT
Sunday, June 12
Salvage Vanguard Theatre (2803 Manor Road)
$7, 8pm
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In the wake of the death of saxophonist-composer John Coltrane in 1967, the jazz world - and especially the sector of the music referred to as "free jazz" - was left with a tremendous void. Coltrane was, after all, a seeker and spiritual force as well as one of the greatest musician-composers of the 20th Century, not only because of the work he created but because of the support he offered to other musicians (often younger players) who needed guidance in their own artistic and personal quests. In this sudden anomie, quite a number of musicians left the New York scene for Europe, while others took the initiative to found their own performance spaces and recording imprints - after all, if the father figure/guide was gone, continuation of the work required great self-reliance as well as a strengthening of community bonds. Musically, Coltrane's influence could be heard in vamp-heavy modal jazz and long-form compositions, such as those performed by saxophonists Pharoah Sanders, Gary Bartz and Billy Harper, trumpeters Hannibal Lokumbe (Marvin Peterson) and Charles Tolliver, and pianist Stanley Cowell, among others.

Drummer Jimmy Hopps (Shahid Jimmi Esspirit) (pictured) worked with all of these figures throughout the '60s and '70s; though he currently calls California home, he's lived and worked in New York, New Orleans, Washington, DC and Paris, and his light, dexterous waves showed the influence of Kenny Clarke in an alternate path to that taken by Coltrane's regular drummer, Elvin Jones. A practicing Buddhist and spiritual teacher himself, Hopps has mostly retired from regular performance, but his influence (and that of his past comrades) lives in the work of the Rajah C Quartet, who will be performing Sunday night at the Salvage Vanguard Theatre. Rajah C performed with Hopps in New Orleans, and brings a group featuring former Sun Ra Arkestra percussionist Rahshah Amen, guitarist Ali Latyif and tubaist/bassist M.D. Noren to the Austin stage. Though the music of Coltrane is long past, dedication to spirituality and community in art is decidedly present.

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