Blue Break Beats, Vol. 2

Performer: Various Artists
Producer: Dean Rudland (Compilation)
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Includes liner notes by Dean Rudland. All selections are stereo, except track 6 which is mono. This is part of Blue Note's The Blue Series. Personnel: Bobbi Humphrey (vocals, flute); Donald Byrd (vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn); Mildred Brown, Naomi Thomas, Rosalyn Brown (vocals); David T. Walker, Grant Green, John Rowe, John Rowin, Melvin Sparks (guitar, baritone guitar); Ray Armando (electric guitar); Harold Land (flute, oboe, tenor saxophone); Roger Glenn (flute); Bennie Maupin (bass clarinet, saxello, tenor saxophone); Joe Maini, Lou Donaldson, Sonny Red, Bud Shank (alto saxophone); Claude Bartee, Jr., Ernie Watts, John Manning , Hank Mobley, Junior Cook, Teddy Edwards (tenor saxophone); Don Raffell, Pepper Adams (baritone saxophone); Eddie Henderson (trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn); Fonce Mizell (trumpet, piano, Clavinet, background vocals); Jules Chaikin, Freddie Hill, Carmell Jones, Eddie Williams , John Audino, Blue Mitchell, Burt Collins (trumpet); Bobby Knight, Julian Priester, Lou Blackburn, Bob Edmondson, Frank Strong (trombone); Jerry Peters (piano, electric piano, electric bass); Gene Harris, Joe Sample (piano, electric piano); Jack Wilson, McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton (piano); Leon Spencer (electric piano, organ); George Duke (electric piano, synthesizer); Jimmy McGriff, Neal Creque, Reuben Wilson, Emanuel Riggins (organ); Fred Perrin (synthesizer); Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone, marimba, percussion); Chuck Rainey, John Williams , John Williams , Jerry Jemmott, Jimmy Lewis , Alphonso Johnson , Roy Brown (electric bass); Tommy Derrick, Harvey Mason, Sr. , Idris Muhammad, Al Foster, Mel Lewis, Mickey Roker, Billy Hart, Billy Higgins (drums, snare drum); Modesto Duran, Candido (congas); Richard Landrum (bongos); King Errisson, Stephanie Spruill (percussion). Recording information: Englewood Cliffs, NJ (01/09/1967-04/??/1975); Los Angeles, CA (01/09/1967-04/??/1975); New York, NY (01/09/1967-04/??/1975); San Francisco, CA (01/09/1967-04/??/1975). Illustrator: Graham Marsh . Unknown Contributor Roles: Sidney Muldrow; Ken Johnson. Arranger: Gerald Wilson. Publishing can be an incredibly lucrative field. Whenever a rapper sampled a recording in the '80s and '90s, the person who owned the publishing stood to make some big bucks -- that is, if the rapper had permission. Some MCs made the mistake of sampling tunes without permission, which resulted in major lawsuits. When Blue Note/Capitol assembled this collection of soul-jazz and jazz-funk in 1993, it encouraged hip-hop, urban contemporary, and acid jazz artists to sample the recordings (which span 1967-1975). But it also stressed that legal clearance would be required -- unless, of course, you wanted to face a lawsuit. And asking for permission is most definitely the right thing to do; as many dues as veteran jazz artists have paid, they certainly deserve monetary compensation whenever their work is sampled (assuming they kept their publishing). Not everything on Blue Break Beats, Vol. 2 is a masterpiece, but overall, it's an enjoyable collection of soul-jazz and jazz-funk. Most of the tunes are from the Blue Note vaults, although Gerald Wilson's infectious, Latin-flavored "Viva Tirado" (which became a big hit for El Chicano in 1970) was actually recorded for Pacific Jazz. None of this material is for jazz purists or bop snobs; Blue Break Beats, Vol. 2 is strictly for those who like their jazz laced with a lot of R&B, and listeners who fit that description are the ones who can appreciate funky, groove-oriented numbers like Lou Donaldson's "The Caterpillar," Grant Green's "Ain't It Funky Now," and Donald Byrd's "Beale Street." Make no mistake: what you hear on this CD is a commercial approach to jazz. But commercial doesn't necessarily mean bad, and for the most part, Blue Break Beats, Vol. 2 demonstrates that jazz can be accessible and still have integrity. ~ Alex Henderson

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