Jazzy Vibes-Soulful Jazz Licks from the 70s

The initial 'Back Beats' series extended over ten issues, with the promise that further volumes might follow. This release is part of the promised second batch, being Volume 20 in the series originally "conceived and compiled with love by Ian Dewhirst". The stated aim of the collection remains the same, to "entertain and educate" whilst bringing "some of the best music in the world from some of the greatest independent labels over the past 50 years..(using)...only the full 12" or album versions". This is a sentiment previously expressed by Dewhirst in his previous role as conceiver and compiler of the 'Original Mastercuts' collection - a series that provided a musical education in quality black music. Since the demise of the 'Original Series' Dewhirst has continued his engaging in the issuing of quality driven music compilations, always displaying the light touch expertise and willingness to guide, in a manner that is never patronising.

For this volume the responsibility for the process of compiling falls to the very experienced Dean Rudland, a man renowned for his involvement with the Acid Jazz label in the early 1990s and the very successful 'Blue Break Beats' compilations. Rudland has also previously worked on the 'Back Beats' series by helming 'Crate Diggin': The Cult Of Rarity' issue (BACKB018). This time around Rudland writes of the period, "...when Jazz was losing its mainstream appeal... (with)...a level of wilful obscurity...losing its relevance to ordinary people". He writes of a large Urban audience that had an appetite for Jazz that could be listened to, and this need was taken up by producers such as The Mizell Brothers, Creed Taylor and Sonny Lester, creating a musical fusion where melody and rhythm still mattered.

Fans of the 'slap bass' technique will smile at the opening of Micheal Pedicin Jnr's 'Sneaky Return' (1979), which features some great saxopohone work, conducted over a tight groove, whilst 'In Good Faith' (1980) by Norman Harris (taken from the album 'The Harris Machine') is a wonderfully atmospheric and melodic groove featuring strings and a rather lovely female vocal accompaniement. Leon Huff's 'Latin Spirit' (1980), as the title suggests, has an insistent rhythm with percussive lead piano work. Again, a very strongly melodic track and clearly composed with a romantic eye (and ear) for the dancefloor. Lou Rawls' 'Trade Winds' (1977) has a strong social message delivered over a deceptively swinging rhythm, whilst Dexter Wansel's 'Latin Love (Let Me Know)' (1978) is a harder edged instrumental groove taken from the album 'Voyager'. If this particular track appeals to you then you will be pleased to know that the album has been re-issued with Wansel's album 'Time Is Slipping Away' by Edsel on a single cd disc, and is available via Amazon for a bargain price. M.F.S.B's 'Metamorphosis' (1980) has an affirmative message softly sung over a beautifully arranged and orchestrated groove, and (along with 'Is It Something I Said') can also now be bought as part of the Edsel M.F.S.B double album / single cd pairing of 'M.F.S.B. Gamble Huff Orchestra' and 'Mysteries Of The World'. Hysear Don Walker's 'Killing Me Softly' (1972) is an instrumental cover, featuring some interesting keyboard work.

Larry Willis' 'Out On The Coast' (1974) opens with a break that is worthy of sampling by any Hip Hop producer, and is a real fusion of funk allied to more obviously 'traditional' Jazz arrangments, rather like Mike Longo's 'Like A Thief In The Night' (1974). Dexter Wansel features again with the lead album track 'What The World Is Coming To' (1977), which sounds curiously similar to a song by The Carpenters in places. 'Killing Time' (1973) by Natural Essence is one of the strongest tracks here, and the compilation concludes with 'Give Me Your Love' (1973), here covered by Funk Incorporated.

So. Do you buy?

Unsuprisingly, and in common with other 'Back Beats' compilations, this issue draws heavily from the 'Philadelphia International' back catalogue, yet still manages to convey the sense of listening to a variety of material, musically and stylistically. Musical purists may scoff at the notion of there being anything 'jazzy' about the tracks, although they might do well to remember that 1970 had seen Miles Davis release 'Bitches Brew' (Columbia Records), with its veritable rock and jazz fusion. Is this 'Jazz-Funk'? 'Jazz-Fusion'? 'Disco-Jazz'? Frankly, given the quality of the tracks included this doesn't matter. For sheer 'ear to ear' enjoyment this could quite possibly be one of the strongest 'Back Beats' issues yet - and a follow up volume would be warmly welcomed.

Once again Dewhirst and the Demon Music group have managed to issue an outstanding title at an incredibly low price. Rudland is also to be congratulated for compiling tracks that have not been heavily featured elsewhere, and the real value of such a title is in the encouragement it provides to explore artists' back catalogue that may be unfamiliar or neglected.

A 9.5 / 10, and a veritable bargain.

Okay, let's be blunt: basically this compilation CD functions as a sampler for you to buy the CD re-releases of the music that Demon music has licensed by the truckload. That's not my opinion at all, it's more or less what the compiler says in the liner notes. And it is at once the strength and weakness of this CD itself.

Overall its a decent but not stellar compilation of 70's mellow funk and jazz-ish soul music. Some of the music is quite good, while some of it is okay but not great. I don't think there were any duds on the CD, which is good. Overall it does a good job of delivering a jazzy, lite funk vibe for the duration.

Could there have been some even better tracks here. Yes, definitely. But that wouldn't be possible since these guys expicitly set out to create a sampler for Demon music's library of licensed "product", primarily from the vaults of Gamble & Huff's Philly International Records. So that stops us from getting a few more top notch tracks. On the other hand, the Demon catalog is of enough quality that compiler Dean Rudland hasn't been forced to to throw in any duds here.

What's annoying however is the liner notes. With such a range of music, it would have been helpful to have more extensive and organised liner notes. For example, the musicians on the tracks are not credited, which isnt just a matter of fun, but it also allows the buyer to learn more about what the liked and go find more of it to buy. Similarly the liner notes for these tracks are not super long but poorly organised, running on for ages, with little to anchor them in the way of infomational headers, structure, or explicit grouping of the music to explain it. In other words the liner notes, while written with sufficient knowledge and passion dont deliver what they could. This kind of style is outdated for a release in 2010.

Also amusing is the fact that the liner notes waste a lot of space repeating redundant formulaic information that is the same for all of the backbeats series, plus more space marketing the covers of those CD. That space would have been better used providing more info about the music itself, then maybe linking to a web page that hotlinks the relevant info.

Overall its a decent CD and a decent purchase but for me the quality of the music is not up to the standards set by Ian Dewhurst in the orginal Mastercuts series. As such I would recommend this CD if cheap enough but it's not a must-have, as it is just ever so slightly on the wrong side of the line between enthusiast compilation and cynical recyling excerise.

GREAT JAZZY SOUL COLLECTION:

1 Michael Pedicin Jr - Sneaky Return
2 Norman Harris - In Good Faith - KILLER INSTRUMENTAL
3 Leon Huff - Latin Spirit
4 Lou Rawls - Trade Winds - BEAUTIFUL SMOOTH HAUNTING SONG
5 Dexter Wansell - Latin Love (Let Me Know) - ROCKING JAZZ FUNK
6 MFSB - Metamorphosis
7 Hysear Don Walker - Killing Me Softly - INCREDIBLE HAUNTING VERSION OF SOUL CLASSIC
8 Lionel Hampton - Them Changes - HARD JAZZ ROCK
9 Larry Willis - Out On The Coast - BUMPIN HARD FUNK CLASSIC
10 Reuben Wilson - Cisco Kid - MONSTER JAZZ FUNK KILLER
11 Jimmy McGriff - Red Beans - TIGHT JAZZ FUNK MASTERPIECE
12 Mike Longo - Like A Thief In The Night - SMOKIN JAZZ FUNKER
13 Dexter Wansel - What The World Is Coming To
14 Gamble & Huff Orchestra - Is It Something I Said
15 Natural Essence - Killing Time - WICKED JAZZ FUNK SOUL CLASSIC
16 Funk Incorporated Give Me Your Love - REALLY NICE INSTRUMENTAL VERSION OF CURTIS CLASSIC