Black Unity Trio – Al Fatihah quite possibly was the first-ever independently-released free jazz record. This is the 2021 repress version.

Black Unity Trio – Al Fatihah quite possibly was the first-ever independently-released free jazz record. Originating in Oberlin, Ohio as the Black Unity Quartet, and ultimately becoming the Trio (Abdul Wadud, Yusuf Mumin, and Hasan Al Hut), the group recorded Al Fatihah in December 24, 1968 at Agency Recording Studio (which was located upstairs in the building housing the legendary Agora Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio). The album ultimately was released in May 1969 in an edition of 500 copies, and reissued for the first time on vinyl in 2020 in a limited edition of 2,000 numbered gatefold copies. The 2020 reissue sold out in approximately 45 days!

The album has been legendary among collectors, producers, and DJs in the past several decades, and has been sampled numerous times on other releases. Much