Killer spiritual soul jazz classic from vibraphonist Khan Jamal. Originally self-released in 1984, “Infinity” was long out of print before being given the reissue treatment by Jazz Room Records. OG copies of the record were fetching thousands and it’s easy to see why. The whole album is such a gem, featuring a tight ensemble of Philly jazz musicians that were all pillars of the local scene at that time – Jamal on vibes, Byard Lancaster on alto saxophone, Clifton Burton on harmonica, Sunny Murray on drums and Bernard Sammul on piano.
Overall, “Infinity” is on some next level vibes, spanning a variety of jazz sub-genres from Afro-Latin to bop. It’s fantastic from start to finish, but the standout track is without a doubt “The Known Unknown,” a grand, nine minute (Alice and John) Coltrane-esque spiritual jazz number that absolutely slays.
