Search - Guru :: Jazzmatazz

Jazzmatazz
Guru
Jazzmatazz
Genres: Jazz, Pop, Rap & Hip-Hop
 
  •  Track Listings (12) - Disc #1

After rhyming over Premier's doctored jazz beats in Gang Starr, Guru decided to take it to the next level, employing the talents of actual jazz musicians to create the grooves over which he would flow. Coming off like a ja...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Guru
Title: Jazzmatazz
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Virgin Records Us
Original Release Date: 5/18/1993
Release Date: 5/18/1993
Genres: Jazz, Pop, Rap & Hip-Hop
Styles: East Coast, Pop Rap
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 094632199829, 0094632199850, 094632199812, 094632199843, 094632199850

Synopsis

Amazon.com essentials
After rhyming over Premier's doctored jazz beats in Gang Starr, Guru decided to take it to the next level, employing the talents of actual jazz musicians to create the grooves over which he would flow. Coming off like a jazzier extension of the Brand New Heavies' Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol. 1, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 brought together a diverse group of jazz cats both old-school and new, including Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd, Lonnie Liston Smith, Ronny Jordan, and Courtney Pine. Guru even enlisted the serene pipes of Carleen Anderson and N'Dea Davenport and acted as something of an international hip-hop ambassador when he flipped "Le Bien, Le Mal" with French mic pro MC Solaar. From the Blue Note-style cover art to the hepcat spoken-word intro, this package is pure hip-hop jazz music. Jazz purists may wish to note that the grooves lean heavily toward the funkier 1970s era of jazz, and hardcore hip-hop heads my be turned off by the mellower musical stance. But then again, this is neither pure jazz nor hardcore hip-hop but rather an extension of the two. --Spence Abbott

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CD Reviews

Influential album
Nucleicacid5 | Oakland, Ca. | 02/10/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was in college at Clark Atlanta University when this album came out. I thought the album was DOPE back then. I was raised on jazz and grew up on hip hop so this was a great album to listen to. For whatever reason most hip hop/jazz albums fail but this one worked...In the college circle this album was either rebuked or recieved luke worm..now this was the early 90's and that DAS EFX typ of rapping was in, hip hop was very closed minded at the time, anything done out of the context of hip hop at that time was rebuked...but coming from San Francisco we tend to have a more open mind to different vibes of music, this album was in the context of two of my favorite genre's of music. I will say this, Guru was really taking a risk with this album a HUGE risk with his fan based, but this album goes to show you that he was not a one dimensional individual. He was not some hip hopper that just stayed in cyphers all day thinking about lyric and stuff. Guru had a vision and he made it come to fruition. It has been...WOW...12 years since this album dropped and it has gained more influence and has been litteraly elevated to a classic, as it should be...IT IS JUST ONE HELL OF AN ALBUM...Jazzmatazz has aged like a fine French wine, the quality gets better over the years.



This is a great album to enjoy whether you are a hip hopper or a jazzman...I will say this Jazz people need to stop acting like such elitist and realize jazz can be integrated in other musical forms...And Hip Hop needs to stop being such and elitist closed minde genre also. Hip Hop has gotten so commercial and watered down, it does not resemble the hip hop of 93'. This album show the best of both worlds...Good Job Guru...you were wayyy ahead of your time on this one...and he still is. I can't see this type of album happening today...."
Jazzmatazz is the smooth soundtrack for life in the city.
lbarnes@caro.net | Charlotte, North Carolina | 05/05/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was first introduced to Guru's Jazzmatazz in 1993 when Acid Jazz was big on the West coast, but had not reached my ears on the East Coast. While it's categorized as rap in many music stores, it's a hybrid of hip-hop and jazz, thus the moniker of Acid Jazz. [NOT to be confused with smooth jazz resembling "elevator music."] Guru is its maistro, conducting distinguished guests like the smooth voiced N'dea Davenport and smooth guitarist Ronny Jordan - each stars with their own careers. Guru's "No Time to Play" is an anthem for hard working people from hip business man to funky construction workers. And when we do play, Guru offers, "Loungin" as our theme song. Different styles and tempos come together in this urban quilt of jazz samples and vocal textures to make one of my favorite CDs. If you like a groove, but prefer the kind of sophisticated cool you can play even for your parents over the hard core you only listen to when you're in full party mode, Jazzmatazz is for you. And good news - Jazzmatazz has a sequal, Jazzmatazz II, for its biggest fans!"
Guru a man of many talents
draracle | Calgary, Canada | 10/13/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"This it what real hip hop is all about, innovation, trying to do something new to help further the hip hop scene. Guru fuses his intense and always meaningfull rhymes with beats and instruments straight from real lounge loving jazz. If you like jazz and have an open mind to new things check this out. If you like gangstarr and have an open mind check this out. If you love hip hop CHECK THIS OUT!"