Guru - Jazzmatazz Vol.1 (1993)

Mp3 128 kbps




After rhyming over Premier's doctored jazz beats in Gang Starr, Guru decided to take it to the next level, employing the talents of actual jazz musicians to create the grooves over which he would flow. Coming off like a jazzier extension of the Brand New Heavies' Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol.1, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 brought together a diverse group of jazz cats both old-school and new, including Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd, Lonnie Liston Smith, Ronny Jordan, and Courtney Pine. 

Guru even enlisted the serene pipes of Carleen Anderson and N'Dea Davenport and acted as something of an international hip-hop ambassador when he flipped "Le Bien, Le Mal" with French mic pro MC Solaar. From the Blue Note-style cover art to the hepcat spoken-word intro, this package is pure hip-hop jazz music. 

Although retro by design (the packaging makes use of the classic Blue Note graphic style), and regressive in it's violation of hip-hop's "maximum effect/minimum means" law of production values, JAZZMATAZZ nonetheless opened up a space for a progressive interplay between hip-hop and jazz.

Jazz purists may wish to note that the grooves lean heavily toward the funkier 1970s era of jazz, and hardcore hip-hop heads my be turned off by the mellower musical stance. But then again, this is neither pure jazz nor hardcore hip-hop but rather an extension of the two. 






Track listing:

   

1. "Introduction" – 1:20
   
2. "Loungin'" (with Donald Byrd on trumpet and piano) – 4:38
   
3. "When You're Near" (with N'Dea Davenport on vocals and Simon Law on keyboards) – 4:02
   
4. "Transit Ride" (with Branford Marsalis on alto and soprano saxophone and Zachary Breaux on guitar) – 3:58
   
5. "No Time to Play" (with Ronny Jordan on guitar and D. C. Lee on vocals) – 4:54
   
6. "Down the Backstreets" (with Lonnie Liston Smith on acoustic and electric piano) – 4:47
   
7. "Respectful Dedications" - :54
   
8. "Take a Look (At Yourself)" (with Roy Ayers on vibraphone) – 3:59
   
9. "Trust Me" (with N'Dea Davenport on vocals) – 4:27
  
10. "Slicker Than Most" (with Gary Barnacle on saxophone and flute) – 2:36
  
11. "Le Bien, Le Mal" (with MC Solaar) – 3:21
  
12. "Sights in the City" (with Courtney Pine on alto and soprano sax and flute, Carleen Anderson on vocals and Simon Law on keyboards) – 5:10




Samples Used:


* "When You're Near" contains samples of "Last Night Changed it All (I Really Had a Ball)" by Esther Williams & "Povo" by Freddie Hubbard.

* "Transit Ride" contains samples of "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss.

* "No Time To Play" contains samples of "Satin Soul" by Barry White, "Satin Soul" by Love Unlimited Orchestra & "Mosadi (Woman)" by The Crusaders.

* "Take A Look (At Yourself)" contains samples of "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss & "Funky President" by James Brown.
    
* "Trust Me" contains samples of "Funky President" by James Brown.
    
* "Slicker Than Most" contains samples of "It Feels So Good" by Grover Washington, Jr.





Personnel:

    * Roy Ayers - Vibraslap, Vibraphone
    * Courtney Pine - Flute, Saxophone, Sax (Alto), Sax (Soprano)
    * Lonnie Liston Smith - Piano, Keyboards, Piano (Electric)
    * Ronny Jordan - Guitar
    * Jimmy Bell - Engineer
    * Big Shug - Additional Vocals
    * Guru - Arranger, Vocals, Producer, Mixing
    * MC Solaar - Vocals
    * Carleen Anderson - Vocals
    * Gary Barnacle - Flute, Saxophone
    * Zachary Breaux - Guitar
    * Donald Byrd - Piano, Trumpet
    * Zdar Cerbonschi - Engineer
    * N'Dea Davenport - Vocals
    * Keith Elam - Executive Producer, Concept Development
    * Simon "The Funky Ginger" Law - Keyboards
    * D.C. Lee - Vocals
    * James B. Mansfield - Engineer
    * Branford Marsalis - Saxophone
    * DJ Jazzy Nice - Scratches
    * Black Jack - Additional vocals
    * Mickey "Mus Mus" - Additional vocals
    * DJ Jimmy Jay - Scratches
    * Lil' Dap - Live Drums
    * The Cutthroats - Additional vocals