Phil Ranelin

by Steve Huey
Trombonist Phil Ranelin was one of the Detroit jazz scenes unsung heroes, releasing several excellent, politicized albums that blended post-Coltrane avant-garde jazz, post-Bitches Brew psychedelia, hard bop, funk, and African rhythms. Ranelin was born and raised in Indianapolis, and later moved to New York and then Detroit, where he started out as a session man for Motown artists like Stevie Wonder. In 1971, along with saxophonist Wendell Harrison, Ranelin co-founded a band, magazine, and record label conglomeration known as the Tribe, which used experimental jazz as a vehicle to raise African-American political consciousness. That year, Ranelin also issued his first album as a leader, Message From the Tribe. 1974s The Time Is Now! continued Ranelins accessible avant leanings, but 1976s Vibes From the Tribe pushed more firmly into groovy jazz-funk territory. The Tribe organization folded in 1978, after which Ranelin played with Freddie Hubbard for several years. In 1986, Ranelin led a date for Rebirth titled Love Dream, and ten years later released the self-produced album A Close Encounter of the Very Best Kind — which featured his new Los Angeles-based sextet — on Lifeforce. Though Ranelins albums didnt get much exposure outside of his home base, they found their way onto the acid jazz/rare-groove collectors market, creating an underground buzz around Ranelins music. In 2001, Tortoise drummer John McEntire remixed and remastered The Time Is Now! and Vibes From the Tribe, which were reissued by the Hefty label. The following year, a full-fledged electronic Remixes collection was released.