Keyboardist Walter Bishop, Jr. recorded the second album released by the BlackJazz label, Coral Keys, a masterpiece of Blue Note-style atmospherics infused with‘70s soul-jazz. But a mere two years later, Bishop, Jr. brought a whole new soundand a whole new band into the studio for 1973’s Keeper of My Soul. Contrary to thealbum title, the name of the band was not The 4th Cycle; instead, as the liner notesput it, the name reflected “Bishop’s composition and improvisational techniquesbased on the Cycle of 4ths and his various personal musical cycles as performer,student and teacher.” The album also was imbued with a spirituality owed in part tohis studies with yogi Parmahansa Yogananda; little wonder, then, that Keeper of MySoul was a more ambitious, electric, and “out” record than its predecessor. Withthe estimable support of flautist/sax man Hubert Laws, bassist Gerald Brown, andvibraphonist Woody Murray, Bishop explores Keith Jarrett-like free-form passages(“Those Who Chant”), Latin stylings (Kenny Dorham’s “Blue Bossa”), and offersone of the most unusual and funky interpretations of “Summertime” you’ll everhear. All in remastered sound with liner notes by Pat Thomas. First-ever vinylreissue of a long-lost classic!

• 1. Soul Village
• 2. N'dugu's Prayer
• 3. Summertime
• 4. Those Who Chant
• 5. Keeper of My Soul
• 6. Blue Bossa
• 7. Sweet Rosa