Featuring stunning solo piano work by Strata-East co-founder Stanley Cowell, Musa: Ancestral Streams is a landmark album in jazz, celebrated for its intimacy and innovation.

Recorded in 1974, it stands as one of the most significant solo piano albums of its time, blending jazz with classical, African, and Eastern influences. Cowell’s pioneering use of both electric and acoustic piano expands the expressive range of the instrument, creating a deeply personal and spiritual experience.

Musa: Ancestral Streams is a cornerstone of the Strata-East discography, reflecting the label’s commitment to artistic freedom and genre-defining works. It not only highlights Cowell’s extraordinary vision as a musician but also exemplifies Strata-East’s role in championing boundary-pushing, artist-produced records.

For the first time ever, this pioneering solo work from the famed pianist will be available on CD and digital platforms, as well as on 180-gram vinyl. Pressed at Record Technology Inc. (RTI) and mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio with audio transferred directly from the original analog tapes, the vinyl edition comes in high-quality, glossy tip-on gatefold jackets.

It also includes new liner notes by Nate Chinen and never-before-seen photos, making this release a must-have for jazz enthusiasts and collectors alike.

1. Abscretions
2. Equipoise
3. Prayer for Peace
4. Emil Danenberg
5. Maimoun
6. Travelin’ Man
7. Departure No. 1
8. Departure No. 2
9. Sweet Song

Recorded and mixed on December 10th & 11th, 1973 at Minot Studios, White Plains, New York, this simply magnificent jazz album opens on the exceptional, free flowing piano work exhibited from the off within the sumptuous Abscretions and then we get the quieter, more thoughtful work Equipoise, the distinctively grand Prayer for Peace and then the ornately shimmering, at times purposely faltering Emil Danenberg is brought forth.

Along next is an emboldened poignancy within Maimoun which is itself followed seamlessly by the smoothly funk-imbibed stillness that lushly exudes through the musical pores of Travelin’ Man, the spirited pairing of both Departure No. 1 and the fleetingly skittish Departure No. 2, the set closing on the resounding confidence of the gushing Sweet Song.