Chicago Jazz fans have long known that Dee Alexander is one of the city’s finest vocalists. And in the past few years, we’ve come to discover what a potent band The Chicago Soul Jazz Collective is, too. So, put ‘em together and you get a great Jazz band, and a great R&B band while they’re at it. On the Way to Be Free is a deeply funky album, dripping with soul. Everything about this album feels like the best that Jazz in the 70’s had to offer, with the texture and feel of Freddie Hubbard’s, Joe Henderson’s or Gil Scott-Heron’s early to mid-70’s output. And much like on their last album, this all-original program holds its own with nearly anything coming out of New York, Los Angeles or London at this point in 2022.
