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Johnny Lytle - People & Love (Milestone, 1972)
Johnny Lytle was straight up a baaaad (as in cool) vibe player, this guy was able to really groove and get a lot of energy from an instrument that usually often sounds stuck in the land of bad 60's feel-good soundtracks. He was a player who often eluded fame, but not because of his lack of talent and this record really showcases his full abilities as both musician and songwriter. The record is from 1972 and electric instruments were beginning to show up in jazz bands - fusion was still in its baby steps, but this is is less a fusion record than a funky jazz record that makes wide use of its acoustic instruments with the added power of the keyboard and electric bass.
Azar Lawrence - Bridge into the New Age (Prestige, 1974)
As you can tell by the cover, this is not your typical coffee shop jazz record. Azar Lawrence is best known for his work with McCoy Tyner and Miles Davis, but his records as a leader were just as powerful and innovative. Bridge into the New Age is the first of three records the sax player recorded for Prestige and I feel it's his most dynamic and interesting to listen to as a whole. His other records get more recognition because of their inclination towards a jazz-dance feel, but this record shows a young player (he was 21 when this record was recorded) taking in the history of jazz and updating it into a time period focused on Afro-centrism, peace and love.
Clutchy Hopkins has returned with his fourth release for Ubiquity Records and his second "solo" album, The Storyteller. For those not familiar with Clutchy, the man is a mysterious cooperative of talent (I've heard rumors about DJ Shadow being in the mix?) putting together some of the freshest, grooviest, mellow music around. The team incorporates elements of instrumental hip hop, dub, jazz, funk, fusion, and psychedelic rock with the end product fitting into none of these pigeonholes.
DOOD Records was a record label I ran from 2004-2007. DOOD was responsible for 9 releases, with the mission statement from day one being to support my local DIY punk/hardcore community in a way that was creative, fun and motivating. I released only vinyl and it wasn't until my last year as a label that I released anything that was even available in another format. DOOD has been defunct for some time now, a lot of the bands I worked with have now broken up and a lot of these releases have not (and perhaps will never) see a reissue. For this reason I have decided to make available those releases which are not currently available. Take a trip through time with me...
Madlib - Mind Fusion Vol. 1 (???, 2004)
Madlib is one of my favorite hip hop producers of all time. His body of work goes so deep, constantly making groundbreaking beats, and redefining the concept of what a beat is. By thoroughly sampling from the deep bombshelter of jazz, funk, soul, hip hop and more recently Bollywood and Brazilian music, his breadth is huge. This man can boast working with MF Doom, J Dilla, Talib Kweli, Ghostface Killa, Erykah Badu, Mos Def.... basically an endless list of amazing hip hop artists, but also having worked with legendary Brazillian drummer Mamão Conti of Azymuth on a collaborative album. Madlib's alias "the Beat Konducta" is not just a slick nickname, but really a fitting title for him as he literally orchestrates samples, loops and beats to create the perfect track.
There's a lot to say about Madlib, and unfortunately I don't have time right now to fully delve into a deep study on the artistic significance of Madlib's groundbreaking beat constructions. Instead I'm going to look at the album at hand, Madlib's Mind Fusion Vol. 1. There is not much information available about this record (or any of the other 4 Mind Fusion records), and the official Madlib discography page makes no mention of it either. Regardless, this is definitely Madlib's work at hand. Each volume in the series runs like a mixtape, and this first one is somewhat of an early Stones Throw sampler with remixes of Oh No, Quasimoto, Jaylib, Madvillain, but also Method Man and Common.
This is a really great mixtape, a lot of fun to listen to. My favorite track on here is probably the Dudley Perkins song, but the Wildchild tracks are also super ripe. I'm not going to post the tracklist on here, but trust me in that you need to hear this whether you're new to Madlib or not.
For more information on Madlib check out the Stone's Throw website for more info about the Mind Fusion series check out the Rappcats blog.
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Milt Jackson - Sunflower (CTI, 1972)
CTI was on fire at the time of this recording, studio musicians on this album including Herbie Hancock on piano and fender rhodes, Ron Carter on bass, Freddie Hubbard on flugelhorn and trumpet. Sunflower is a very orchestrated and cinematic record, but manages to groove really well. The way Milt Jackson and Herbie Hancock pair each other is fantastic especially with the subtle overtunes by Freddie Hubbard. This is a very beautiful record, and is one that means a lot to me. I find myself going through periods of time where I can only listen to this record. The way the strings cascade in "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" never fails to give me chills and "People Make the Go Round" has one of the sweetest intros, especially when Freddie Hubard comes in wailing on the trumpet. Needless to say this is a record that is in constant rotation and I don't doubt that you'll find it enjoyable.
Milt Jackson is a vibraphone player most known for his work in the Modern Jazz Quartet, but was most active in the 50's and 60's as a sideman and solo musician. He worked alongside jazz greats including John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, and Wes Montgomery. Although usually a hard bop or bebop guy with soulful elements, Sunflower is a groove-filled record that takes a very symphonic approach. The vibes on this album are subtle and sweet, adding a mellow undertone and keeping a dream-like quality about the whole session. As always Milt Jackson knows when is best to take the lead and when to accent another player.
The original vinyl release only has four songs, but the CD release includes a bonus track. One of my favorite records, a true jazz classic and one of CTI's best releases.
1. For Someone I Love
2. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?
3. People Make the World Go Round
4. Sunflower
5. SKJ
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