Joshua Stewart

MHL 145
CD Review
The album I did my review on was Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 by
rapper Guru. Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 was Gurus first album as a solo
artist and fourth album overall. It was recorded in both New York
and London and was released on May 18, 1993 during the golden
age of hip hop. The album is one of the first jazz rap albums,
combining a live jazz band with hip hop production and lyrics.
Live instrumentation is provided by notable jazz musicians such
as Lonnie Liston Smith, Branford Marsalis, Ronny Jordan, Donald
Byrd, and Roy Ayers. Additional vocals are sung by NDea
Davenport, MC Solaar, D.C. Lee, and Big Shug. Despite poor sales
in the U.S., the album was a commercial success in Europe, where
jazz music was much more popular at that time.
The first notable track on Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 that comes to
mind is track number 4 Transit Ride. The track opens with
Branford Marsalis playing a mesmerizing sax intro which is later
played as the chorus. The sax is accompanied by a guitar rhythm
played by Zach Breaux, a steady drum sample of Synthetic
Substitution by Melvin Bliss, and a constant heavy bass line.
Each of the accompaniments lay the foundation throughout the
song. Gurus monotone voice paints a picture of a subway ride in
New York City. Branford Marsalis playing compliments Gurus
lyrics and makes the listener experience what is being discussed
in the song. A breathy sax solo concludes the song.
The next track that stands out is Down the Backstreets
which is track number six. Opening the song is an old sample of
an unknown singer and soon after enters the electric piano played
by Lonnie Liston Smith. Following the piano almost
simultaneously is Gurus voice repeating the chorus. After the
intro, the song transitions quickly into the first rap verse which is

sung over a smooth contour melody played by the acoustic piano.

Some improvisation is played by the piano in the melody of each
verse. As the song reaches its second chorus, the electric piano
and acoustic piano play in harmony creating a unique sound.
Accompanying the piano is a heavy drum beat which remains
constant throughout the song. Also, in the chorus a sax sample
from The Crusaders song Do You Remember When? is added to
give the song a more jazz feel. The track finishes with a soft
piano solo.
Another highlight on this album is track number 8 Take a
Look. This is maybe the most unique track on the album with
the presence of the vibraphone. The vibraphone is accompanied
by a heavy bass line. Improvisation by the vibraphone floods
each rap verse and creates a disjunct contour melody. In each
chorus, the vibraphone and Gurus voice are in harmony creating
a catchy, head-bobbing hook. The song finishes with more
improvisation from the vibraphone and Guru giving some shout
outs to his friends.
Another standout is track number 11 Le Bien, Le Mal
translated The Good, The Bad in English. This track standouts
because of its faster tempo and lyrical play. MC Solaar opens the
song rapping in French accompanied by a steady drum cymbal
beat which has the listener anticipating the next beat. After MC
Solaar lets out a heavy growl the song starts off with a thumping
drum beat. Soon after the drum beat comes in, Guru sings the
chorus over a trumpet melody that speeds up the tempo. As the
song reaches the first rap verses, there are some hints of guitar
added to the melody. The beat stays uniform throughout the
song. Towards the conclusion, Guru wraps it up with a sign off
and some turntable scratches are added giving the song a better
fusion of jazz and hip hop.
The final track on this album is Sights in the City. This
track features Courtney Pine playing alto and soprano sax and

also flute. Sights in the City opens with a haunting drum beat
accompanied by keyboards played by Simon Law. There are also
snippets of some instruments that I am unable to identify. After
the beat is laid out, the chorus is sung by Carleen Andersons
focused voice. Carleens timbre adds some extra emotion to the
song which is about people struggling in the inner city. The sax
and flute are added in the second chorus. Also, the flute is added
in the verses after the first verse giving the song some
spontaneity. The end of the song features some airy sax solos.

Overall I enjoyed listening to Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1. I thought

Guru did a nice job fusing jazz with rap. I think that this is an
album that both jazz and hip hop fans can enjoy because there is
a good balance of both genres elements. Gurus mellow timbre
and laid back approach are two things that I think make this
experimental album work. As Guru says in the albums liner
notes, its an album thats jeep ready and also one that your
parents could enjoy. Thats what I feel makes this album so great
and timeless.