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Though it can reasonably be argued that rap grew almost directly out of funk and its particular beat, there are a lot of overlaps with jazz, particularly the bop and post-bop eras: the uninhibited expression, the depiction of urban life, just to name two. Jazz samples have also had a large role in hip-hop, but the idea of rapping over actual live jazz wasn't truly fully realized until Gang Starr MC Guru created and released the first in his Jazzmatazz series in 1993, with guest musicians who included saxophonist Branford Marsalis (who had previously collaborated with DJ Premier and Guru for the track "Jazz Thing" on the Mo' Better Blues soundtrack), trumpeter Donald Byrd, vibraphonist Roy Ayers, guitarist Ronny Jordan, and keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith, as well as vocalist N'Dea Davenport (also of the acid jazz group the Brand New Heavies) and French rapper MC Solaar. While Guru's rhymes can occasionally be a little weak ("Think they won't harm you? Well they might/And that ain't right, but every day is like a fight" are the lines he chooses to describe kids on the subway in Brooklyn in "Transit Ride"), he delves into a variety of subject matter, from the problems of inner-city life to his own verbal prowess to self-improvement without ever sounding too repetitive, and his well-practiced flow fits well with the overall smooth, sultry, and intelligent feel of the album. From Jordan's solo on "No Time to Play" to Ayers' vibes expertise on "Take a Look (At Yourself)" to MC Solaar's quick and syllabic rhymes on "Le Bien, le Mal," Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 (and what turned out to be the best of the series) is a rap album for jazz fans and a jazz album for rap fans, skillful and smart, clean when it needs to be and gritty when that's more effective, helping to legitimize hip-hop to those who doubted it, and making for an altogether important release.
© Marisa Brown /TiVo
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Guru, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 Virgin Records
Donald Byrd, Trumpet, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Ronald Isley, ComposerLyricist - Guru, Producer, MainArtist - RUDOLPH ISLEY, ComposerLyricist - O'Kelly Isley Jr., ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 Virgin Records America Inc.
Simon Law, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - N'Dea Davenport, Producer, Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Guru, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Tony Dawsey, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - James Bell, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tracii D. Sherman, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1993 Virgin Records
Branford Marsalis, Producer, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Guru, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Tony Dawsey, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - James B. Mansfield, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Zachary Breaux, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1993 Virgin Records
Guru, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Tony Dawsey, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kieran Walsh, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Joe Quinde, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Big Shug, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Ronny Jordan, Producer, Guitar, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Craig Marcus, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - DC Lee, Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1993 Virgin Records
Guru, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel - Keith Elam, ComposerLyricist - Lonnie Liston Smith, Producer, Piano, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Dawsey, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kieran Walsh, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Joe Quinde, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Lil' Dap, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Craig Marcus, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1993 Virgin Records
Guru, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Tony Dawsey, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kieran Walsh, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Joe Quinde, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Craig Marcus, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1993 Virgin Records
Guru, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Roy Ayers, Producer, Vibraphone, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Dawsey, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kieran Walsh, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Joe Quinde, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Craig Marcus, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1993 Virgin Records
N'Dea Davenport, Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Guru, MainArtist - Keith Elam, ComposerLyricist - Tony Dawsey, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Guru for Guru Productions Inc, Producer - James B. Mansfield, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1993 Virgin Records
Guru, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel - Keith Elam, ComposerLyricist - Tony Dawsey, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Gary Barnacle, Flute, Saxophone, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - James B. Mansfield, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1993 Virgin Records
Guru, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Tony Dawsey, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Black Jack, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - MC Solaar, Producer, Rap Vocalist, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Zdar Cerbonschi, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mickey "Mus Mus", Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - DJ Jimmy Jay, AssociatedPerformer, Turntablist
℗ 1993 Virgin Records
Simon Law, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Guru, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel - Keith Elam, ComposerLyricist - Carleen Anderson, Producer, Vocals, Unknown, Other, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Tony Dawsey, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Courtney Pine, Producer, Flute, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 Virgin Records
Donald Byrd, Producer, Co-Producer, FeaturedArtist - Guru, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 Virgin Records
Donald Byrd, Producer, Co-Producer, FeaturedArtist - Guru, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 Virgin Records
Donald Byrd, Piano, Trumpet, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Guru, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel - Keith Elam, Composer - Tony Dawsey, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kieran Walsh, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Joe Quinde, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Craig Marcus, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1993 Virgin Records America, Inc.
Guru, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Tony Dawsey, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Kieran Walsh, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Joe Quinde, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Big Shug, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Ronny Jordan, Producer, Guitar, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Craig Marcus, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - DC Lee, Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1993 Virgin Records
Barry White, Composer - Guru, Producer, MainArtist - Keith Elam, Composer - CJ Mackintosh, Producer - Ronny Jordan, Producer, Co-Producer, FeaturedArtist - DC Lee, FeaturedArtist
℗ 1993 Virgin Records
N'Dea Davenport, Composer, Producer, Co-Producer, FeaturedArtist - Guru, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel - Keith Elam, Composer, Producer, Executive Producer - CJ Mackintosh, Remixer, Music Production, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Patrick Moxey, Producer, Executive Producer - Duff Marlowe, Producer, Executive Producer
℗ 1993 Virgin Records
N'Dea Davenport, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Guru, Producer, MainArtist - Keith Elam, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 Virgin Records America, Inc.
Ray Hayden, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Guru, Recording Arranger, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Keith Elam, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Ronny Jordan, Producer, Co-Producer, MainArtist
℗ 1993 Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited
Guru, Vocals, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Keith Elam, Producer, ComposerLyricist - DJ Krush, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel - Ronny Jordan, Producer, Co-Producer, MainArtist
℗ 1994 Island Records, a division of Universal Music Operations Limited
Ralph Sall, Producer - LEON HUFF, ComposerLyricist - Guru, MainArtist - Keith Elam, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1993 Universal Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
Though it can reasonably be argued that rap grew almost directly out of funk and its particular beat, there are a lot of overlaps with jazz, particularly the bop and post-bop eras: the uninhibited expression, the depiction of urban life, just to name two. Jazz samples have also had a large role in hip-hop, but the idea of rapping over actual live jazz wasn't truly fully realized until Gang Starr MC Guru created and released the first in his Jazzmatazz series in 1993, with guest musicians who included saxophonist Branford Marsalis (who had previously collaborated with DJ Premier and Guru for the track "Jazz Thing" on the Mo' Better Blues soundtrack), trumpeter Donald Byrd, vibraphonist Roy Ayers, guitarist Ronny Jordan, and keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith, as well as vocalist N'Dea Davenport (also of the acid jazz group the Brand New Heavies) and French rapper MC Solaar. While Guru's rhymes can occasionally be a little weak ("Think they won't harm you? Well they might/And that ain't right, but every day is like a fight" are the lines he chooses to describe kids on the subway in Brooklyn in "Transit Ride"), he delves into a variety of subject matter, from the problems of inner-city life to his own verbal prowess to self-improvement without ever sounding too repetitive, and his well-practiced flow fits well with the overall smooth, sultry, and intelligent feel of the album. From Jordan's solo on "No Time to Play" to Ayers' vibes expertise on "Take a Look (At Yourself)" to MC Solaar's quick and syllabic rhymes on "Le Bien, le Mal," Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 (and what turned out to be the best of the series) is a rap album for jazz fans and a jazz album for rap fans, skillful and smart, clean when it needs to be and gritty when that's more effective, helping to legitimize hip-hop to those who doubted it, and making for an altogether important release.
© Marisa Brown /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 22 track(s)
- Total length: 01:35:27
- Main artists: Guru
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Virgin Catalog (V81)
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
© 2018 Capitol Records, LLC This Compilation ℗ 2018 Capitol Records, LLC
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