from the 12” single, Emergency Records, 1982Believing firmly in the unyielding grip of socialization, I’ve always been greatly interested in the trajectory of people’s lives, how they get from A to Z and all points in between, particularly given the colossal changes many of us go through in life. Case in point: Ricki Byars Beckwith, current director of Agape International Choir and wife of the trans-denominational (see: all religions welcome) church’s founder. After growing up in the segregated South, Ms. Beckwith, né Muldrow, moved to NYC and sang with some of the more spiritually minded (see: out there) jazz crews of that time, including Pharaoh Sanders, perhaps priming her for a life spent dedicated to pursuing the teachings of New Thought-Ancient Wisdom; that said, there’s absolutely no hint of spirituality to be found within this pumping slice of post-disco boogie, produced by Ricki and her brother Ronald, another stalwart of the ‘70s New York jazz scene.
