Is it OK for music to be background? In other words, does all music have to be listened to with the same degree of concentration and freedom from distraction? It may be a moot question in these greatly distracted times. Here's another, related question: is the music you want on in the background necessarily inferior to the stuff you need to pay attention to? This new album from flutist/tenor saxophonist Chip Wickham is in the genre of spiritual jazz kicked off by the late Pharoah Sanders, and it follows a similar trajectory to his 2020 release Blue to Red (Lovemonk, 2020): each tune starts up, usually a simple melody on just one or two chords, and after the solos it finishes... [ read more ]