Jazz Souls on Fire pays tribute to some of the Afro-Semitic Experience's favorite composers, ones whose own creativity inspired that of the members of the group. On this recording we visit pieces by Leon Thomas, Duke Ellington, Hank Mobley, John Coltrane, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and others. We honor their music, forged out of the struggles from which they emerged, lighting a way for us. It brings us back to the groove and passion of blowing, dancing, and soaring freely in sound and spirit—it brings us back to our musical roots.

What you hear on Jazz Souls on Fire is our interpretation of music that touched us as we were coming of musical age. And now, as torch bearers we lean forward and shed light, our light, on those fires that lit something in us. Plus we have a bonus track of an unreleased take on Salaam by the great South African pianist and composer, Abdullah Ibrahim.