Product Description

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 theWild Pitch offices hadn't lost his ear for choosing musicalconspirators 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 hisDJ Jimmy Jay (Le Bien Le Mal), Brand New Heavies vocalist N'Dea Davenport on "Trust Me", and Courtney Pine on "Sights in the City".

Track Listing

1. Intro
2. Loungin'
3. When You're Near
4. Transit Ride
5. No Time To Play
6. Down The Backstreets
7. Respectful Dedications
8. Take A Look At Yourself
9. Trust Me
10. Slicker Than Most
11. Le Bien Le Mal
12. Sights In The City

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14887 in Music
• Released on: 1993-05-17
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
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. 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. --Spence Abbott

Customer Reviews

I hate rap...........
...........but somehow I got to hear this album in the early/mid nighties - possibly through Guru's association with the jazz guitarist Ronny Jordan who features on this disc. Jazzmatazz vol.1 and the subsequent Jazzmatazz albums seem to elevate themselves out of the regular bitching of rap and hip hop through some excellent songs with great song structure, melodies and variety. Whether this is due to Guru, who it has to be said is really 'into himself' as demonstrated by a number of self penned narratives on how good he is on both this and other jazzmatazz albums or whether it is some of the exceelent contributors that appear throughout the record. Either way he desreves credit for either creating or facilitating a number of tremendous records.

Great laid back hip-hop
I would recommend this CD for fans of real hip-hop (Tribe Called Quest, Mos Def, De La Soul, Gang Starr). Guru's lyricts sound great with the jazz sound. I have to say that this blows the current commercial rubbish away. Jay-Z, D-12, P-Diddy are streets behind this stuff. This sounds a bit like Gang Starr, but the Jazz style just makes it that bit different.

Jazz hip hop fusion for hip hop lovers who want to chill.
This is a must have album for all hip hop fans, Guru (gifted unlimited rhymes universal) has met up with stars like Donald Byrd and MC Solaar to create a unique style. With hip hop drum beats, jazz riffs, and chilled out raps, this album is perfect for when you're in the mood for hip hop, but without all the heavy bass lines, just put this album on and relax.