Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1
1993 studio album by Guru
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Jazzmatazz, Volume 1: An Experimental Fusion of Hip-Hop and Jazz, is the debut solo studio album by American hip hop recording artist Guru. It was released on May 18, 1993, by Chrysalis Records.[1] The recording sessions took place at D&D Studios, in New York. The album was produced by Guru, who also served as executive producer with Duff Marlowe and Patrick Moxey.
| Jazzmatazz. Vol. 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
"An Experimental Fusion of Hip-Hop and Jazz" | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 18, 1993 | |||
| Recorded | 1992–1993 | |||
| Studio | D&D (New York City) | |||
| Genre | Jazz rap | |||
| Length | 44:06 | |||
| Label | Chrysalis | |||
| Producer | Guru | |||
| Guru chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Jazzmatazz. Vol. 1 | ||||
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The album combines a live jazz band performance with hip hop production and rapping. It features contributions from singers N'Dea Davenport, Carleen Anderson, Dee C Lee, French rapper MC Solaar, and musicians Simon Law, Branford Marsalis, Courtney Pine, Donald Byrd, Gary Barnacle, Lonnie Liston Smith, Ronny Jordan, Roy Ayers and Zachary Breaux.
Guru, quoted in the album's liner notes, talked about his natural affinity for both jazz and rap. "Jazz's mellow tracks, along with the hard rap beat, go hand-in-glove with my voice", he said.[2]
The album made it to number 94 on the Billboard 200 and number 15 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States. In spite of the lagging American sales, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 was a commercial success in Europe, where jazz was much more popular in the 1990s. It peaked at No. 43 in Germany, No. 49 in Sweden, No. 58 in the UK, No. 67 in the Netherlands, and No. 139 in France. It also apeaked at No. 24 in New Zealand, Oceania. Its lead single "Trust Me" peaked at No. 34 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 105 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Its second single, "No Time to Play", peaked at No. 25 in the UK. SPIN ranked the album at number 20 on their 'The 20 Best Albums of 1993' list.[3]
Critical reception
| Initial reviews (in 1993) | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Chicago Tribune |   [4] |
| Robert Christgau |  [5] |
| DownBeat |  [6] |
| Jazz Forum | [7] |
| Q | [8] |
| Rolling Stone | [9] |
| Select |   [10] |
| The Windsor Star | B−[11] |
| Retrospective reviews (after 1993) | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [12] |
| (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide | [13] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 7/10[14] |
The New York Amsterdam News called the album "an experimental fusion of jazz and rap that articulates the ties of Black music through the ages and embodies the quintessence of Afro-American cultures."[15] The Windsor Star noted that "two cuts stand out featuring singer N'Dea Davenport, who offers a fresh voice to the project."[11] The Philadelphia Inquirer determined that "the soloists conjure a variety of deep-hued moods, but Guru stops short of delivering anything more than polite editorials and bland travelogues."[16] Maclean's listed Jazzmatazz as the fifth best album of 1993.[17]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Keith Elam, except tracks 3 and 9 written with N'Dea Davenport, and track 12 written with Courtney Pine.
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Introduction" | Guru | 1:20 |
| 2. | "Loungin'" (featuring Donald Byrd) |
| 4:38 |
| 3. | "When You're Near" (featuring N'Dea Davenport and Simon Law) | 4:02 | |
| 4. | "Transit Ride" (featuring Branford Marsalis and Zachary Breaux) | 3:58 | |
| 5. | "No Time to Play" (featuring Dee C Lee, Ronny Jordan and Big Shug) |
| 4:54 |
| 6. | "Down the Backstreets" (featuring Lonnie Liston Smith) | 4:47 | |
| 7. | "Respectful Dedications" | Guru | 0:54 |
| 8. | "Take a Look (At Yourself)" (featuring Roy Ayers) | 3:59 | |
| 9. | "Trust Me" (featuring N'Dea Davenport) |
| 4:27 |
| 10. | "Slicker Than Most" (featuring Gary Barnacle and the Cutthroats) | Guru | 2:35 |
| 11. | "Le Bien, Le Mal" (featuring MC Solaar, Black Jack and Mickey "Mus Mus") | 3:21 | |
| 12. | "Sights in the City" (featuring Carleen Anderson, Courtney Pine and Simon Law) | 5:10 | |
| Total length: | 44:06 | ||
- Notes
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.[2]
Musicians
- Keith "GuRu" Elam – vocals, arrangement
- N'Dea Davenport – vocals (tracks: 3, 9)
- Diane "Dee C Lee" Sealy – vocals (track 5)
- Claude "MC Solaar" M'Barali – vocals (track 11)
- Carleen Anderson – vocals (track 12)
- Cary "Big Shug" Guy – additional vocals (track 5)
- The Cutthroats – additional vocals (track 10)
- Black Jack – additional vocals (track 11)
- Mickey "Mus Mus" Mosman – additional vocals (track 11)
- Donald Byrd – trumpet and piano (track 2)
- Simon "The Funky Ginger" Law – keyboards (tracks: 3, 12)
- Branford Marsalis – alto and soprano saxophone (track 4)
- Zachary Breaux – guitar (track 4)
- DJ Jazzy Nice – scratches (track 4)
- Robert "Ronny Jordan" Simpson – guitar (track 5)
- Lonnie Liston Smith – acoustic and electric piano (track 6)
- James "Lil' Dap" Heath – live drums (track 6)
- Roy Ayers – vibraslap and vibraphone (track 8)
- Gary Barnacle – flute and saxophone (track 10)
- Christophe "Jimmy Jay" Viguier – scratches (track 11)
- Courtney Pine – flute, alto and soprano saxophone (track 12)
Production
- Guru – producer, mixing, executive producer, concept development
- Donald Byrd – co-producer (track 2)
- N'Dea Davenport – co-producer (tracks: 3, 9)
- Branford Marsalis – co-producer (track 4)
- Ronny Jordan – co-producer (track 5)
- Lonnie Liston Smith – co-producer (track 6)
- Roy Ayers – co-producer (track 8)
- DJ Jimmy Jay – co-producer (track 11)
- MC Solaar – co-producer (track 11)
- Courtney Pine – co-producer (track 12)
- Carleen Anderson – co-producer (track 12)
- Philippe "Zdar" Cerboneschi – engineering
- James B. Mansfield – engineering
- Craig Marcus – engineering
- Kieran Walsh – engineering
- Jason Bell – engineering
- Joe Quinde – engineering
- Luke Allen – engineering assistant
- Doug Boehm – engineering assistant
- David Carpenter – engineering assistant
- Tracii D. Sherman – engineering assistant
- Tony Dawsey – mastering
- Patrick Moxey – executive producer, concept development
- Duff Marlowe – executive producer
Design
- Henry Marquez – art direction
- Diane Cuddy – design
- Michael Benabib – photography
- Marc Villalonga – photography
- Ray Burmiston – photography
- Bill Adler – liner notes
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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