Guru - Jazzmatazz, Vol. 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 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 Amazon.com essentials

Wheres the hip hop

I love jazz music. I love Gangstarr, I love Jazzmatazz, Vol. 4: The Hip Hop Jazz Messenger: Back to the Future. Now this album has the most jazz influence, i love the music and beats but the problem is Guru does not rap enough. I dont think he spits a full 16 on this whole album. There are way to many chorus's and it makes this album hard to listen to May 17, 2008

Jazzmatazz is Great

I have jazzmatazz one two and three. they are all great. In my view this is what hiphop should be all about. Trying to create high art that lives up to the legacy of greatness of those who came before. The mixture of Bebop and Hiphop is a win win combination. The entire jazzmatazz series will become a long living classic to be coveted by fans of good music well into the future. September 18, 2007

Bald Head Slick!

Any hardcore fan of Gang Starr should consider this essential. If not, then any fan of laid back hip hop will find this a nice find. Sure it isn't Premo but Guru definitely keeps the Gang Starr attitude kickin' on this smooth release. Just beware, this is certainly an album relegated for the bedroom or living room with a little cheeba use and not in your fly whip. It's very laid back but then again so was Gang Starr, right? If your favorite Gang Starr song is Discipline or Moment of Truth then you're good to go. July 4, 2007

Great album

A mix of hip-hop vocals and jazzy instrumentals combine to form a beautiful album. May 16, 2007

Jazz + Rap = Jazzmatazz (3.5 Stars)

Guru decided to create an experimental hip-hop album with a mix of jazz to create Jazzmatazz Vol. 1. To me I thought it was going to be one of many rap with jazzy production albums that came out in the early 90's, but this was different.Instead this time, he picked up some jazz musicians and singers. The guests include" Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd, Ronny Jordan, N'Dea Davenport, Carleen Anderson, Courtney Pine, Lonnie Liston, and french known rapper MC Solar, amd many more.

Most of the tracks Guru rhymes while the jazz musicians play and sing, which mostly comes out well for the most part. His monotone voice sometimes blend in with the musical vibes on many storytelling vibe tracks like "Down The Backstreets" and the loud alto saxophone produced "Transit Ride". Another nice track is "No Time To Play" with DC Lee singing and Ronny Jordan on the guitars. Production wise is outstandig because it is somewhat live instruments, but not how you'll expect on something like any early Roots' albums or such.

Some tracks I disliked though toward the end of the abum. "Slicker Than Most" and "Le Bien, Le Mal" didn't appeal to me, probably because they changed the mood of the album, and it seemed to be more rapping than jazz making it unbalanced. Lyrically Guru comes off decent on some tracks, which isn't a big deal to many listeners becuase they're not paying attention to that. Other than that it is a very enjoyable album that suffers some flaws. If you like Hip Hop and Jazz, or if you have a taste for experemental music, I recommend this one to you.

Favorite Tracks: Loungin', Transit Ride, No Time To Play, Down The Backstreets, Trust Me, Sights In The City. July 5, 2006

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