A small post dedicated to Keith Elam (Guru), died by 19/04/2010. West coast rap singer, he founded GangStarr in 1989 with DJ Premier.
The 1st Jazzmatazz project, presented in 1993 as "an experimental fusion of hip hop and jazz", is a musical gem (including prestigious featurings as Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd, Lonnie Liston Smith), and open the way to deeper collaboration between rappers and jazzmen. Always good to remind that hip hop comes from jazz...
Chrisalys F1-21998
Guru - Jazzmatazz vol.1 - Introduction
Guru previoulsy rapped "Jazz Thing" (used in Spike Lee's Mo Better Blues), where the message about importance of jazz was more than clearly expressed:
EP CBS 656377 6
Gangstarr - Jazz ThingJazz Thing Lyrics:
It's roots are in the sounds of the African
or should I say the mother.. bringin us back again
From the drummin on the Congo, we came with a strong flow
and continue to grow
Feet move, to the beat of the t'balo
Now dig the story and follow
For then it landed, on American soil
Through the sweat, the blood, and the toil
Hear, "Praise the Lord," shouted on chain gangs
Pain they felt, but it helped them to maintain
Scott Joplin's rags, Bessie Smith's blues
St. Louis blues, they were all the news
Ringin smooth.. in all the listeners ears
Fulfillin the needs, and plantin the seeds
of a jazz thing
King Oliver's group was a train comin through
to Chicago, bringin the New Orleans groove
And when Satchmo blew, the audience knew
Basil Street blues was the whole house tune
it was music.. great to dance to
Great to romance to with a lot to say to you
Relaying a message, revealing the essence
of a jazz thing
In the 40's came be-bop, the first be-bop
The real be-bop, so let me talk about
Diz' and Byrd, givin the word
Defining how a beat could be so complete
Playing with ferocity, thinkin with velocity
About ornathology, or anthropology
and even ?, and this is real history
Theolonious Monk, a melodious thunk
No mistakes were made with the notes he played
His conception, was ?re condite?
A star glowing bright among dim lights
The critics did cite that he sounded alright
Charlie Mingus, such nimble fingers
Droppin the bass, all over the place
and Max Roach, cymbals socking
Bass drum talking, snare drum rocking
Restructuring.. the metaphysics
of a jazz thing
John Coltrane, a man supreme
He was the cream.. he was the wise one
The impression of Afro Blue
and of the promise, that was not kept
He was a GIANT step, and there was Ornette Coleman
He was another soul man
The original invisible, playing great music
I wonder why the ?Bangles? couldn't use it
Now listen see
The real mystery is how music history
created by white men or any other white man
that pretended he originated "uh-huh.."
and contended that he innovated "uh-huh.."
a jazz thing
("Of course we know who can really blow")
Scheamin on the meaning
of a jazz thing
And this music ain't dead, so don't be misled
by those who said that jazz was on it's deathbed
Cause when Betty Carter sings a song
ain't nuttin goin on, but simply good music
And you won't refuse it
She's takin her time, makin the nuances rhyme
Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophone
with a big old tone, recitin poems
with notes as words, and haven't you heard
NEXT STOP BUTTER, RIGHT PAST OLEO
Now there's young cats blowin
And more and more people, yes they will be knowin
Jazz ain't the past, this music's gonna last
and as the facts unfold, remember who foretold
The 90's, will be the decade of
a jazz thing "I love jazz music"
