Al-Fatihah (New LP)

Label: Gotta Groove Records

Black Unity Trio – Al Fatihah quite possibly was the first-ever independently-released free jazz record. Originating in Oberlin, Ohio as the Black Unity Quartet, and ultimately becoming the Trio (Abdul Wadud, Yusuf Mumin, and Hasan Al Hut), the group recorded Al Fatihah in December 24, 1968 at Agency Recording Studio (which was located upstairs in the building housing the legendary Agora Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio). The album ultimately was released in May 1969 in an edition of 500 copies, and reissued for the first time on vinyl in 2020 in a limited edition of 2,000 numbered gatefold copies. The album has been legendary among collectors, producers, and DJs in the past several decades, and has been sampled numerous times on other releases. Much mystery surrounded the origins of the album, as well as the status of the musicians, until 2020 when The Wire published an interview with Hasan...

This 2021 Repress Edition Features:

– SOURCED FROM ORIGINAL 1968 SCOTCH 201 MASTER TAPES

– TAPE RESTORATION & REMASTERING DONE BT MULTI-GRAMMY AWARD WINNING ENGINEER PAUL BLAKEMORE

– LACQUERS CUT FROM ANALOG TAPE (ALL ANALOG CHAIN) BY CLINT HOLLEY & DAVE POLSTER (WELL MADE MUSIC CUTTING STUDIO)

– GOTTA GROOVE PROPRIETARY GROOVECOATED PLATING TECHNOLOGY

– SINGLE POCKET JACKET PRINTED ON RECYCLED BOARD, WITH LYRIC SHEET INSERT FEATURING RAS MOSHE’S EXTENDED LINER NOTES.

– GOTTA GROOVE ANTI-STATIC RICE PAPER SLEEVES