Terry Callier – Timepeace (Anniversary Edition)

Terry Callier's Timepeace arrived in 1998 after a 15-year break from recording, making it the real comeback record in a catalogue that had long fused soul, folk, blues and jazz on its own terms. Callier had stepped away from music in the 1980s to raise his daughter, work at the University of Chicago, and complete a sociology degree; when he returned, this album went on to receive the United Nations Time For Peace Award for outstanding artistic achievement in the service of world peace.

What makes Timepeace so satisfying is how naturally Callier pulls those threads together. His voice and acoustic guitar stay at the centre, but the songs are framed by a more jazz-minded ensemble that never loses sight of melody. The title track stretches out with guest tenor saxophone from Pharoah Sanders, while People Get Ready/Brotherly Love folds Curtis Mayfield's writing into the album's humane, spiritually alert mood. Elsewhere, songs such as Lazarus Man show how strong Callier's writing remained after the long silence.

This 25th Anniversary edition also helps underline why Timepeace matters in the story of Callier's late recognition. British DJs had helped revive interest in his earlier work during the 1990s, and this album became the point where that rediscovery turned into a fully realised new chapter. For anyone coming to Terry Callier from the revered 1970s records or discovering him for the first time, it is a warm, thoughtful and quietly powerful place to start.

Features

• 1xLP, 180g, Music On Vinyl, Black Vinyl, 25th Anniversary Edition
• Includes insert with lyrics and liner notes by Tom Terrell

Reviews

• widely praised as one of the finest releases of 1998 - The Guardian
• Timepeace is indeed well worth the wait. - AllMusic.com