When the Spirit Returns

When the Spirit Returns
Studio album by Lester Bowie
Released	2000
Recorded	1997
Genre	Jazz
Label	Birdology
Producer	Lester Bowie, Jean François Deiber
Lester Bowie chronology
The Odyssey of Funk & Popular Music (1999) When the Spirit Returns (2000)

When the Spirit Returns is the final album by the American trumpeter Lester Bowie, released in 2000. ^{[1] [2]} He was backed by his band, Brass Fantasy. ^[3] The album was reissued in October 2003. ^[4]

Production

When the Spirit Returns was recorded at Bowie's home studio during the same 1997 sessions that led to The Odyssey of Funk & Popular Music. ^[5] Gary Valente played trombone on the album. ^[6] Many of the songs were chosen by Bowie's daughter, who was 15 at the time. ^[7] "One Love" is a cover of the Bob Marley song. ^[5] "Count On Me" was written by Babyface. ^[8] "Unchained Melody" is a take on the Al Hibbler version of the standard. ^[8] "Waterfall" is a cover of the TLC song. ^[9] Bowie composed the ending title track. ^[10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[11]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[12]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD	[13]
The Philadelphia Inquirer	[6]

The Independent said that the songs "are given the widescreen Bowie treatment, with fat brass licks and plangent harmonies delivered over a tuba-driven pulse that is most effective." ^[14] The Jerusalem Post noted that "the most striking feature of Bowie's work was his ability to lace even the most amorphous material with tongue-in-cheek humor." ^[5]

Jazziz opined that "the best cuts combine blaring horns with a thick bassline (played on a tuba) and could be the greatest blaxploitation soundtrack ever—if a movie could be made that was worthy of the music." ^[10] Goldmine called the album a "collection of outrageous cuts", stating that Bowie had been "the joker" of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. ^[8] The Philadelphia Inquirer stated that Bowie "easily spins through jazz, soul and reggae with great zest, humor and veritas." ^[6]

AllMusic labeled When the Spirit Returns "a fitting final project, and easily the most consistent and realized of all the Brass Fantasy albums." ^[11]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Player Hater"
2.	"Waterfall"
3.	"Count On Me"
4.	"Solitude"
5.	"Biggie's Ride"
6.	"One Love"
7.	"Unchained Melody"
8.	"Naakurat Na"
9.	"Save the Best for Last"
10.	"When the Spirit Returns"

References

1. Davis, Clive (July 30, 2000). "On record". Features. The Sunday Times. p. 21.
2. Ouellette, Dan (October 4, 2003). "Cassandra grooves on 'Glamoured'; Pharoah smiles at the Blue Note". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 40. p. 16.
3. Andrews, Jon (December 2003). "Tribute to Lester/When the Spirit Returns". DownBeat. Vol. 70, no. 12. p. 82.
4. Ephland, John (October 2003). "If/Responsorium". DownBeat. Vol. 70, no. 10. p. 81.
5. Davis, Barry (October 22, 2000). "Trumpeting Lester Bowie". Arts. The Jerusalem Post. p. 7.
6. Stark, Karl (November 16, 2003). "Jazz". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. H12.
7. Kremsky, Stuart (2004). "Shuffle Play: Compact Disc Reviews". IAJRC Journal. 37 (1): 77–94.
8. McElfresh, Dave (January 23, 2004). "On the racks". Goldmine. Vol. 30, no. 2. p. 27.
9. "Lester Bowie Brass Fantasy: When the Spirit Returns". PopMatters. December 10, 2003. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
10. Freeman, Phil (December 2003). "The Meeting/When the Spirit Returns". Jazziz. Vol. 20, no. 12. p. 75.
11. "When the Spirit Returns Review by Thom Jurek". AllMusic. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
12. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
13. The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. Penguin Books. 2004. p. 180.
14. Johnson, Phil (July 16, 2000). "When the Spirit Returns". Features. The Independent. p. 10.