Eddie Henderson
Heritage
Blue Note Rare Groove

Bobbi Humphrey
Fancy Dancer
Blue Note Rare Groove

Jeremy Steig
Howlin’ For Judy
Blue Note Rare Groove

The Three Sounds
Soul Symphony
Blue Note Rare Groove

Gene Harris and The Three Sounds
Elegant Soul
Blue Note Rare Groove

Reuben Wilson
Set Us Free
Blue Note Rare Groove
By George W. Harris

The late 60s and early to mid 70s were real tough years for jazz musicians. Rock and Roll was at it’s peak of popularity, with acoustic jazz being treated like the ugly sister. People were staying away from jazz clubs in droves, and musicians had to scramble for a Plan B in order to get someone, ANYONE to listen. Some, like Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, went the electronic/ funk route. Others tried to incorporate rock or Motown into the equation. These 5 releases, some of which at the time of released were greeted with disdain by the contemporary jazz cognoscenti, have actually aged amazingly well, and in fact sound fresher in many respects than the jazz/rock music of Return To Forever, Mahavishnu et al. This collection is called “Rare Groove” because a number of hip hop artists are taking samples of these songs and incorporating it into their, ahem, “music”. As Lou Donaldson said when he learned that rap artists were using his sax licks, “As long as I get a check, I’m glad to be contributing the only music on their junk.”

Trumpeter and Doctor Eddie Henderson is still playing, and sounds great the last two times I’ve seen him. Back in 1976 he put out a funky electronic jazz disc that sounds ten times fresher than any of Hancock’s Headhunter discs. Joined by trombone/alto player Julian Priester, and driven the drums by Hancock alumni Mike Clark (who just put out a smoker new disc of his own), Henderson plays it straight and electric through a kaleidoscopic set of tunes. All feature richly textured rhythms provided by bassist P aul Jackson, percussionist Mtume and keyboardist Patrice Rushen. Her “Kudu” and Mtume’s “Inside You” are infectious, and are a joy to behold. Look for this beauty by an overlooked star!

The thing s utterly amazing about the 1975 release by flutist/vocalist Bobbi Humphrey is that, except for the slightly dated Earth Wind and Fire-ish vocals on a number of tracks, this highly rhythmic, exotic and eclectic set of music (which was then called “adult contemporary jazz”) sounds fresher, if not exactly like, what we would nowadays call “smooth” jazz. This either means that Humphreys had a timeless touch to her fusion of jazz and modern pop, or that “adult” jazz has completely stagnated over the past 30+ years. You decide. Either way, the stew of boppers like Oscar Brashear/tp, Julian Priester/tb, Harvey Mason/dr and Tyree Glenn/ts with a mass of diverse keyboards and percussion instruments (along with Humphrey’s breathy flute) makes for a tasty treat.

Flutist Jeremy Steig had a marathon recording session on Feb 11, 1970 with jazz stars Eddie Gomez/b and Don Alias/dr/perc, producing two albums, “Legwork” and “Wayfaring Stranger.” Luckily for Steig, the flute was actually fairly popular in rock, thanks to Paul Horn’s meditative series of discs, and rock sensation Jethro Tull. These seven songs actually sort of mix the psychedelia of the former (as on the trippy title tune) with the fiery beat of the latter (check out the drumming on “Mint Tea”). Alias goes intergalactic with Steig on “Waves”, while Gomez adds some bluesy licks on “Alias”. Their experimental and psychedelic treatment of “Nardis” sounds what Miles Davis was reaching for in his post “Bitches Brew” period. Interesting and provocative.

The classic soulful jazz piano trio lead by Gene Harris was weathering the A-Changing times. No one really wanted what Harris had to offer, so he went looking for new musical environments. With a slightly different supporting staff (Henry Franklin/b, Carl Burnett/dr) than the original team, and with original bassist Simpkins on “Symphony”, Harris decided to augment his sound with strings, woodwinds and voices. Initially reaping scorn from the few remaining die hard mainstream fans when these two discs came out in 68 and 69 respectively, “Elegant Soul” and “Soul Symphony” redeem Harris’ choice and musical experimentation. A bit of the boogaloo beat of the 60s creep in, along with the Motown groove during the tunes, but it works amazingly well. The 25 minute “Soul Symphony” has some beautifully conceived ideas with contemporary rhythms, reaching out to the modern sounds without compromising one iota the jazz feel. Their take of “Harper Valley PTA” is an absolute gas, and even the tunes with wince-producing titles like “Popsicle Pimp” and “African Sweets” have a wondrous mix of strings and swing. You’ll be amazed how good this stuff goes down, and you don’t need to wear wide wale chords to enjoy it. Two great and underappreciated releases.

Hammond B3er Reuben Wilson avoided the chitlin’ sound of the greasy organ by mixing a bit of psychedelia with Detroit soul on the 71 recording. Bringing in hard bop stalwarts like Jerome Richardson/sax, David Spinozza/guitar/sitar(!), Richard Davis/b Jimmy Johnson/dr, and Specs Powell with Ray Armando/perc, Wilson produced some experimental funk with a dash of old time Jimmy Smith thrown in. Richarson’s flute glides through Eddie Harris’ title track, while Spinozza’s sitar adds some hippy-ness to “We’re In Love.” Most enjoyable are the nicely grooved workings of the Detroit hits “Mr. Big Stuff” and “Mercy, Mercy Me”. The percussion sizzles through the funkified Hammond, sounding almost like a 70s soundtrack, shining like Afro sheen.