A1. Jazz Thing (Video Mix)
B1. Jazz Thing (Movie Mix)
With the original UK 7¡É of this release now as rare as hen¡Çs
teeth, and with the group having recently ¡Æreformed¡Ç for one
last album together, the Mr Bongo replica re-release of this
1990 masterpiece by Gang Starr couldn¡Çt be more timely.
The now-legendary duo of DJ Premier and Guru dropped this
at the height of hip-hop¡Çs sampling of jazz, which had led to a
creative leap forward for the genre. Yet while others plundered
in the dark, this instant classic wore its influences on its sleeve
and paid verbal homage to the musicians they were sampling.
The ¡Èmelodious funk¡É of ¡ÈThelonious Monk¡É gets
namechecked, while the track samples two of his records,
including 1958¡Çs Bop gem ¡ÆLight Blue¡Ç.
While both versions presented here have common elements,
the ¡ÆMovie Mix¡Ç – so-named for the song¡Çs appearance on the
soundtrack to Spike Lee¡Çs mythic jazz biopic ¡ÆMo¡Ç Better Blues¡Ç
– goes in a few different directions to the ¡ÆVideo Mix¡Ç. Rather
than just drop in an instrumental for the B-side, DJ Premier
instead shows his versatility by switching up the base track
(Kool & The Gang¡Çs 1971 ¡ÆDujii¡Ç) and layering in other samples.
In more ways than one, his virtuosity here echoes the
improvisation of a jazz musician, akin to Denzel Washington¡Çs
Bleak in the movie.
Of course, he¡Çs not the only show in town. The late Guru¡Çs
voice is as mellifluous as an instrument itself here, his potted
history of the genre and the artists of jazz delivered with his
own unmistakable cadence. Without this record, would he
have gone on to make his ¡ÆJazzmatazz¡Ç projects.
[S-224010]
[S-024012]