RE: New Purchases: Guru's Jazzmatazz, Charles Lloyd

From: Dana M. Cobbs (flyamazon@netzero.net)
Date: Tue Oct 17 2000 - 15:28:55 MET DST

  • Next message: Dana M. Cobbs: "RE: Sarah Jones"

    going to see them tonight at SOB's in NYC...will send a review later this
    week.

    D.

      -----Original Message-----
      From: Steve Catanzaro [mailto:stevencatanzaro@sprintmail.com]
      Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2000 8:38 PM
      To: acid jazz
      Subject: New Purchases: Guru's Jazzmatazz, Charles Lloyd

      Guru's Jazzmatazz: Streetsoul (Virgin, 2000) Hey, what? Where did all the
    jazz go? This one is in a much different direction than the original classic
    or the followup. Back then, K. Elam, (aka Guru), assembled a stellar
    collection of new and old jazz stars, including Donald Byrd, Courtney Pine,
    Roy Ayers, Branford Marsalis, and etc. There's loads of guest artists on
    this new joint, but the jazzmen are scarce here.

      Instead, the emphasis is on "soul," whatever that is, because some of
    these trax just might find a home on the Sisquo / Timbaland type stations.
    Uggh. (Did Donell Jones really hav'ta rhyme "baller" with "shot caller?")

      But, there are some good cuts. Angie Stone is hot with a very D'Angelesque
    (no surprise) melody called Keep Your Worries. Erykah Badu is particularly
    cheeky in a funny duet that is about the only "jazz" oriented track in site,
    and it's got a real, real, REAL old school flavor (we're talking Bix
    Biederbecke here!)

      Macy Gray is here, and it sounds like she's still gargling with porcupines
    and flossing with helium. Isaac Hayes reminds us that only punks pass out
    business cards in night clubs. And, you've got Amel Larrieux, Les Nubians,
    and even Herbie himself shows up to comp some funky licks. The highlight
    groove, for me, is from the Roots; Raise Your Fist. Funky bizness, even if
    Guru's slow, leisurly delivery is not a great match with Black Thought.

      And finally, the lyric content is generally not as deep, spiritually, as
    the original Jazzmatazz. No, it's not mysonginistic like Method Man and
    Redman; Guru has 2 much class for that, I think... but it does tend a little
    more towards the bump and grind type stuff.

      Is it a disappointment? Time will tell.... but Jazzmatazz volume 1 is a
    classic disc I still enjoy, and this doesn't seem, on first listen, to be in
    the same ballpark. (PS.... check out the scholarly Blue Note style liner
    notes... who does Guru think he is, Lee Morgan or something?

      Charles Lloyd. The Water is Wide (ECM, 2000.) OK, this is not acid jazz,
    or hiphop, or drum and bass, or 2 step garage or jungle or house not house
    or happy hardcore or any of the other crazy categories y'all are forever
    coming up with. But goodness, it is hard to imagine that music gets much
    more beautiful than this.

      ECM always has the great recorded sound. Charles Lloyd is, in some
    people's book, a real, REAL heavyweight saxman, I'm talking, in the Sonny
    Rollins John Coltrane league. (In other's view, he was the guy that made
    noise in between Keith Jarrett's solos, back when Jarrett was Lloyd's
    pianist.)

      Oh, but man, this is incredible, lyrical, melancholy, beautiful, and yes,
    very, very mellow. Check out the lineup; Brad Mehldau on piano, Abercrombie
    on guitar, Larry Grenadier on bass, and the legendary, fabulous Billy
    Higgins on drums. Damn, he can swing even on slow tempos.

      If Lloyd's tone on "Georgia" doesn't choke you up, there's something wrong
    with ya. (It kind of reminds me of a smoother version of those slower trax
    Dexter Gordon played in "Round Midnight." Nicer than nice.

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