Kahil El’Zabar has been one of the deepest and most forward-thinking artists from Chicago’s renowned improvised music scene for many years. Working in a variety of creative contexts as a member of the boundlessly innovative AACM, which he led for almost a decade, El’Zabar founded the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble in 1974. This was his way to further explore the connections between African-American music, like jazz, with more traditional African instrumentation and rhythms. The definitions of “spiritual” and “improvisational” do not sufficiently capture the multidimensional, evocative, educational, and progressive core of his work. Simply put, it is black music in its purest state. Last year, The Ensemble celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a much-acclaimed Album, “Open Me, A Higher Consciousness of Sound and Spirit” for Spiritmuse Records. Here, the great artist delivers a meditative ambience with soaring spirituality and a laid-back swing that does not allow the groove to fall apart. His lush and interstellar portfolio of collaborations includes Dizzy Gillespie, Don Cherry, Archie Shepp, Cannonball Adderley, Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, David Murray… among others. But El’ Zabar doesn’t look back on the past half a century. He is interested in the future…