“Improvisation transcends the technical field and reaches a level of connection with the sacred, influenced by studies of distinct religions and spiritualities. Something very connected to the first notions of sonorities within African traditions, for example, where music is considered a spiritual element,” explains researcher Nathália Grilo in an interview for the NOIZE magazine #163 about John Coltrane and spiritual jazz.

What the music of Herbie Hancock , Miles Davis , Alice Coltrane , and other historic names in jazz have in common goes beyond a single genre. These artists used music, deeply rooted in their ancestry, as a form of transcendence and connection to knowledge from the subjective realm.

This spiritual dimension reaches the present day through artists like Amaro Freitas and Luedji Luna . In an interview with NOIZE about her new album, Um Mar Pra Cada Um (A Sea for Everyone), - released in July by NRC - the Bahian artist declares: “Each track is about the search for love. I conclude that my need to be loved comes from the need to feel human. I am worthy of being loved, I am the image and likeness of God, as believers say, because I am a divine being.”

While you wait for the LP of the singer's new album - which will arrive at your home in October - we've put together a playlist of essential tracks to understand the timeline of spiritual jazz. Check it out on NOIZE's Spotify.