Jamael Dean

★★★★ Primordial Waters STONES THROW. DL/LP

Los Angeles’ pianist’s sprawling full debut explores the Yoruba creation story and much more.

CLOCKING IN just shy of 100 minutes, there’s much to unpack on this future-facing sweep through the spiritual jazz cosmos from the 22-year-old grandson of Les McCann drummer Donald Dean. Traditional Orisha and Yoruba stories guide highlights Akoda and Overstood – Sharada Shashidhar’s wordless coos, Carlos Niño’s pattering percussion and Jamael Dean’s loose, fluttering harmonics allowing saxophonist and trombonist Zekkereya El-Magharbel to build a head of steam – while the massed brass outer-space feel of Galaxy In Leimert nods to Galaxy Around Olodumare by Alice Coltrane (a touchstone throughout). Having displayed estimable instrumental chops, the final third morphs into a leftfield jazz-rap set that illuminates the catch and crackle of Dean’s grits-and-gravy voice. That may split the jury, but there’s no denying his prodigious talent or unwavering ambition.