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| As a teenage Jimi Hendrix fanatic, I discovered What It Is by sheer luck. Although typical of the early ‘70s Prestige look, the album cover caught my pre-jaundiced eye with its angular shot of Jones wailing on his huge guitar, a look of pure pleasure on his face. I figured, hey, this guy rocks (!)…and Hendrix liked jazz…and its from that same time period …and… uh… the guy’s got a cool name…. So I bought the damn thing. Lucky me. Little did I know that this small purchase would help spark an expensive life-long obsession to seek out all equally great but obscure musical gems (and later, to turn that obsession into a profit-free website). A milestone in my musical self-education, I had really no idea that jazz could sound quite like this. Here was a record I could (and did) play for my high-school friends, who in spite of their rigid rock tastes, couldn’t help but be moved by the Boogaloo. From the deep-soul groove of “Ain’t No Sunshine” to the funk-quake of the title track, this album was sinking its hooks into impressionable ears. Just like the S.O.U.L. album What Is It, “Boogaloo” Joe Jones’ What It Is IS a funky miracle anchored by the hard-hitting drumming Bernard “Pretty” Purdie and the spirited-sax of the once tasteful Grover Washington Jr., and of course, the aggressively soulful guitar leads of Jones. A hearty Grant Green-ish mix of early-‘70s pop covers, low-down & dirty blues, and raw-funk jams, this classic album goes a long way towards explaining the cult following Boogaloo enjoys among DJs and collectors. What ever happened to this guy? He recorded his final album in 1975, and a couple years later dropped off the radar. Prestige has reissued this What It Is along with an earlier date, No Way, on Legends of Acid Jazz: “Boogaloo” Joe Jones, Vol. 2. Buy his music while you can and help bring the Boogaloo back. And, if you’re still out there Mr. Jones, please know we love you! . --John Ballon (email) May 19, 2004
Tracks: 1. Ain't No Sunshine 2. I Feel The Earth Move 3. Fadin' 4. What It Is 5. Let Them Talk 6. Inside Job Players: Boogaloo Joe Jones - Guitar, Piano, Vocals Buddy Caldwell - Bongos, Conga Butch Cornell - Organ Bernard "Pretty" Purdie - Drums Grover Washington, Jr. - Sax (Tenor) Jimmy Lewis - Bass (Electric) Return to home page... Alice Coltrane was not the only harpist on the jazz scene. Though less well know, Dorothy Ashby was the instrument’s other gargantuan talent. An accomplished player, Ashby combined soulful feeling and technical sophistication to push the harp to the fore and give it a new voice. Of the ten albums she recorded between 1956-1970, Afro-Harping is easily her most funky. Long sought after by collectors in the know, this rare groove classic has been rescued from the dustbin obscurity and reissued by Verve for a limited time only (through 2006). Complete with flutes, vibes, B-3 organs, prominent basses, bursts of percussion, and a sampler’s heaven of drum beats, this album is bursts with a variety of gems. “Action Line” snakes along at a delicious lounge mid-tempo, while “Afro-Harping” boogaloos relentlessly forward, with tough solos by Dorothy guaranteed to win your respect. “Little Sunflower” is a bossa nova flavored delight with even more pleasing harp leads. This album offers up abundant moments of soulful delight, and should definitely be got while the getting’s good. |
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