Guru - Jazzmatazz (Volume 1) (LP)

An Experimental Fusion Of Hip Hop and Jazz As half of the pioneering duo Gang Starr, Guru can count himself among a select handful of innovators (DJ Jazzy Jeff, Stetsasonic, Native Tongues) who in the late '80s introduced jazz's tonal complexity into the hip-hop universe. It makes a certain amount of sense then, that his solo debut is actually a series of collaborations with various jazz artists. 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. The man who picked DJ Premier out of a stack of anonymous demos in the Wild Pitch offices hadn't lost his ear for choosing musical conspirators and here he draws on the talents of fusion legends like Roy Ayers and trumpet virtuoso Donald Byrd. Despite their august presence, some of the disc's strongest moments showcase younger artist like Paris-based MC Solaar and his DJ Jimmy Jay (Le Bien Le Mal), Brand New Heavies vocalist N'Dea Davenport on "Trust Me," and Courtney Pine on "Sights in the City." Format: Vinyl Released: 06/10/14 Genre: Jazz, Hip Hop Remember, for our lowest prices, always order directly from our official JocoRecords website! TRACKS A1 Introduction 1:20A2 Loungin' 4:38A3 When You're Near 4:02A4 Transit Ride 3:58A5 No Time To Play 4:54A6 Down The Backstreets 4:47B1 Respectful Dedications 0:54B2 Take A Look (At Yourself) 3:59B3 Trust Me 4:27B4 Slicker Than Most 2:36B5 Le Bien, Le Mal 3:21B6 Sights In The City 5:10