DC Share Revival: Psychedelic Jukebox: [1967] Bill Plummer & Cosmic Brotherhood

In the late 1960s, as jazz musicians in America began to look beyond the borders of Western musical conventions, bassist Bill Plummer embarked on a unique project that synthesized modal jazz, Indian classical music, and the sensibilities of the West Coast psychedelic movement. The result was Bill Plummer and the Cosmic Brotherhood, a deeply spiritual and genre-defying album recorded in 1967 and released by Impulse! Records, a label typically associated with avant-garde jazz giants like John Coltrane, Archie Shepp, and Pharoah Sanders. Despite the album's relative commercial obscurity, it has since emerged as a cult classic among collectors, psychedelic jazz enthusiasts, and crate-diggers worldwide.

An Unexpected Alchemy of Sound and Culture

Bill Plummer, already a well-respected jazz bassist with credits alongside Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, and Lalo Schifrin, became captivated by Indian classical music in the mid-1960s. He began studying the sitar under the legendary Ravi Shankar and Harihar Rao, which sparked an artistic vision to merge Eastern musical philosophy with the improvisational spirit of jazz. This vision culminated in the formation of the Cosmic Brotherhood—a collective of top-tier Los Angeles studio musicians and jazz experimenters committed to exploring transcultural sound.

Recorded on September 21 and 22, 1967, at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, the sessions were produced by Impulse’s legendary A&R man Bob Thiele, who had also produced Coltrane’s A Love Supreme. The band’s personnel was formidable: Plummer led on bass and electric sitar; Carol Kaye, one of the most recorded bassists in history, added electric bass; saxophonist and flautist Tom Scott brought avant-garde edge; vibraphonist Lynn Blessing and pianist Mike Lang deepened the modal atmosphere. Crucially, a multi-sitar frontline including Hersh Hamel, Ray Neapolitan, and Jan Steward, as well as sarode and tabla contributions by Indian-trained musicians like Milt Holland, rooted the album in a genuine Indo-jazz tradition. Percussionist Mike Craden’s use of boo bams, duovigongs, bells, and Eastern hand drums further pushed the sonic palette into trance-like, ritualistic territory.

The Sonic Narrative of “Journey to the East”

The album’s philosophical and musical centerpiece is the track “Journey to the East,” a hypnotic spoken-word piece layered over swirling sitars, drones, tabla rhythms, and minimalist jazz instrumentation. The lyrics, spoken in a detached, monotone delivery by Plummer himself, recount a symbolic spiritual journey across mountains, oceans, and deserts toward a mythical “Home of Light.” The vocal delivery, deliberately devoid of inflection, contrasts with the vibrant textures underneath—heightening the song’s meditative quality. Critics have compared it to a raga-inspired internal monologue, where the lack of emotional display paradoxically intensifies its transcendental pull.

Other tracks include a ten-minute free-jazz-meets-Indian-chant epic “Arc 294°” and unexpected covers like David Crosby’s “Lady Friend” and Burt Bacharach’s “The Look of Love.” These reinterpretations are not throwaway novelty inclusions; rather, they are recontextualized as vehicles for Indo-jazz improvisation, giving familiar melodies a new, mystic coloration. These treatments exemplify the band’s approach: a deliberate deconstruction of Western pop forms through the lens of modal jazz and Eastern timbral aesthetics.

A Commercial Misfit Turned Collector’s Treasure

Despite its striking originality, the album failed to achieve commercial or critical attention upon its release. By 1968, Impulse! was navigating between avant-garde jazz and more mainstream crossover projects; The Cosmic Brotherhood did not easily fit into either category. Without strong label backing or touring support, the album disappeared quickly from the market.

For decades, it remained a holy grail among rare jazz LP collectors. Original pressings—especially in gatefold sleeves with Irv Glaser’s photographic cover—became highly sought after. Anecdotal accounts from vinyl collectors and audiophiles describe these records as “unfindable in the wild” and commanding premium prices on secondary markets.

Reissue efforts have helped revive the album’s legacy. In the 2010s, labels such as Get On Down and Captain High Records reissued it on vinyl and CD. Nevertheless, reissues have brought the album to new audiences, particularly among fans of psychedelic jazz, spiritual jazz, and Indo-fusion.

In terms of cultural afterlife, the band itself did not continue as an active ensemble, and Plummer returned to session work, eventually contributing to Exile on Main St. by the Rolling Stones and various Hollywood soundtracks. Drummer Bill Goodwin later recalled performing pieces from the album live at events involving Timothy Leary, suggesting its link to the late-60s psychedelic and psychonautic scenes. This crossover into altered-consciousness culture aligns with the album’s content and intent—an auditory voyage both metaphorical and psychological.

Friday, July 4, 2025

Psychedelic Jukebox: [1967] Bill Plummer & Cosmic Brotherhood - Journey to the East

An Unexpected Alchemy of Sound and Culture

The Sonic Narrative of “Journey to the East”

A Commercial Misfit Turned Collector’s Treasure

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