BGP Presents Jazz Funk Various Artists (BGP Various)

£11.70

Genre:
Funk
Label:
BGP
Format:
CD
Catalogue Id:
CDBGPD 248

Look inside any issue of Blues & Soul magazine from the latter part of the 70s and you will be in no doubt as to the UK’s club music of choice. The club section and the display ads let you know that jazz funk was the sound you would hear on a night out to any hot-spot playing the latest sounds from black America. Look a little closer at the DJ charts and you will notice that the story is a little more complicated. What counts as jazz funk can range from hardcore jazz fusion monsters by Patrice Rushen to boogie soul sounds, via jazz-influenced funk by the Blackbyrds and Pleasure. These groups were made up of accomplished musicians: the Blackbyrds had been jazz studies students of Donald Byrd at Howard University in Washington DC, who were totally relaxed with the contemporary black music of the era, and would mix it effortlessly with jazz. Clouding the issue somewhat, certain DJs would also play latin-influenced jazz cuts, often aimed at hardcore dancers, in a section of the evening known as the jazz break.

This CD tells the story of how this was linked to the UK dancefloors of the late 70s and early 80s and gives an insight into the way in which jazz records, especially those from the US west coast, fought for commercial breathing space. By incorporating the sounds of soul and funk, jazz discs forced their way onto radio playlists while the groups got club dates outside the ever-diminishing jazz scene. Even in the States, some of these records were played at the hottest clubs in the country, shouldering their way into the nascent disco scene.

In Berkeley, California, on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay, Fantasy Records were one of the key protagonists in the development of jazz music throughout the 1970s. The success of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s blend of roots rock provided large profits. Instead of using the money to sign another big rock group, the label’s owners Ralph Kaffel and Saul Zaentz invested heavily in the genre they knew best. In a few short years they had acquired a phenomenal jazz catalogue by buying up the Riverside, Prestige and Milestone labels from the east coast and had also signed up some of the country’s most exciting jazz talent. It was a brave move, as jazz was not especially a growth market, but by taking a broad-based approach they covered all the bases, from the complex modal playing of piano legend McCoy Tyner to the jazz-based funk of the Blackbyrds.

By Dean Rudland

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Track listing

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Side 1

  • 01 Preview Happy Music - The Blackbyrds

  • 02 Preview Close To You - Marlon McClain

  • 03 Preview Let Me Love You (Let Me Be Me) - Stanley Cowell

  • 04 Preview Taj Mahal - Paulinho Da Costa

  • 05 Preview Leaving This Planet - Charles Earland

  • 06 Preview Los Conquistadores Chocolatés - Johnny Hammond

  • 07 Preview Novo Ano - Azar Lawrence

  • 08 Preview Moon Dreams - Flora Purim

  • 09 Preview Sao Pablo - Jay Hoggard

  • 10 Preview Montevideo - OPA

  • 11 Preview I Don't Know What's On Your Mind - Spider's Webb

  • 12 Preview Glide - Pleasure

  • 13 Preview Shout It Out - Patrice Rushen

  • 14 Preview If Only I Could Prove To You - The 3 Pieces

Delivery & Returns

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We offer free P&P to UK addresses. For all other territories packaging is free and postage is charged on a weight basis.

We use Royal Mail First Class for UK deliveries and standard Air Mail for all other territories, very large orders will usually be sent via parcelforce. You may cancel your order at any time prior to your order being dispatched by emailing us at orders@acerecords.com ensuring that you quote your name, address and order reference number or by telephoning +44 (0) 208 453 1311 between 9am and 5pm GMT/BST, Monday to Friday. Please note: As music downloads are dispatched immediately after purchase, there is no possibility of cancelling these orders.

In the event that any products supplied to you by us are damaged or defective, we agree to replace or repair the damaged or defective products or refund the amount you paid for such goods (including postage & packaging) providing you notify us (either via post at or e-mail: orders@acerecords.com ) and return the goods within 28 days of purchase. Physical goods should be sent back to us in the same condition you received them to: “Returns” Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the e-mail address above including a copy of your notification.

You have the right to cancel your order within seven days of purchase, or seven days of receipt of the goods (whichever is the longer). If you choose to cancel your order, full payment will be returned to you. Returned items should be sent to: “Returns” c/o Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the email address: orders@acerecords.com including a copy of your notice of cancellation and order number.

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