Reissued Vinyl: The Descendants of Mike and Phoebe’s A Spirit Speaks

Mack Avenue Music Group and Strata-East Records widely released The Descendants of Mike and Phoebe’s 1974 album A Spirit Speaks on 180-gram vinyl with audio cut directly from the original analog tapes. Originally reissued on LP exclusively as a Record Store Day Black Friday 2025 release, the vinyl format is now available to purchase at retailers worldwide, including the Mack Avenue website.

Order The Descendants of Mike and Phoebe – A Spirit Speaks

Listen to Strata-East: The Legacy Begins

One of many projects on Strata-East spearheaded by bassist, composer, and arranger Bill Lee (legendary director Spike Lee’s father), The Descendants of Mike and Phoebe’s only album, A Spirit Speaks, enlists Bill Lee’s brother and sisters—Clif Lee, A. Grace Lee Mims, and Consuela Lee Moorehead—to form a group named in tribute to their enslaved ancestors. Combining elements of jazz, gospel, soul, and blues, among other influences, A Spirit Speaks has become one of the most sought-after albums from the catalog.
In partnership with Mack Avenue Music Group, Strata-East has released 32 historic titles on digital platforms, and reissued nine albums to CD and 180-gram vinyl for the first time to widespread acclaim from The New York Times, The Washington Post, Mojo, DownBeat, Tidal, and WRTI. This series of reissues tells the story of one of Jazz’s most iconic labels, founded in resistance to major labels’ restrictions on artistic expression in the 50s and 60s. Strata-East’s commitment to freedom and high standards earned it a revered place in jazz history. Finally, the initial analog tapes have been remastered and re-released to continue their legacy for generations to come. Mastered by Kevin Grey, the releases were pressed to 180-gram vinyl at RTI with audio cut directly from the original analog tapes. The LP also includes deluxe tip-on gatefold packaging with new liner notes and never-before-seen photos.
Other recent critically acclaimed Strata-East reissues on CD and 180-gram vinyl include Charles Tolliver All Stars’ Right Now… And Then, Cecil McBee’s Mutima, The Heath Brothers’ Marchin’ On! Feat. Stanley Cowell, Charles Tolliver & Stanley Cowell’s Music Inc., Pharoah Sanders’ Izipho Zam (My Gifts), Charles Tolliver & Music Inc’s Live at Slugs’, Volume I & II, Stanley Cowell’s Musa: Ancestral Streams, and Charlie Rouse’s Two Is One.

Tracklisting:

1. Two Songs for a Boy Named Mark: a) Little Bitty Baby,b) Soliloquy to a Man-Child
2. Coltrane
3. Chick Chick
4. Well Done, Weldon
5. A Spirit Speaks
6. Attica
7. Take My Hand, Precious Lord
8. Boll Weevil
9. Don’t Be a Stranger
10. Too Little, Too Late