Sometimes less is more. Andy Bey proves this with “Celestial Blues”, which saw the light of day in 1974, on Experience and Judgement. It’s a rather sparsely populated track by some jazz-funk standards; the bass patiently twangs up and down in stops and starts, the drums flash on and off, and Andy Bey’s voice rings out above as he preaches meditation and spirituality with lines like “Expand your mind, don’t let it wither and die”.
That’s not to say there isn’t any layers or complexity to the song. In fact, as the track progresses, the synths and organs build up to produce a wonderful symphonic sound, dancing over and around each other. It’s an extraordinarily meditative track, perfect for times you want to relax. Very soothing harmonies…
The album must have been rare in the past, as it’s hard to track down a reasonably priced copy on vinyl, but luckily it is available on YouTube and Spotify.