FW: Greyboy - AAARRRHGGHGHH!

Carl Cranstone (carlos@mtx.net.au)
Thu, 21 Mar 1996 22:19:19 +-9-30


someone said..
-> Come to think of it, isn't every song with the exception of the Us3 =
tune
-> and all the John Lurie numbers, previously released material?=20

then Tim,..that funky dude, said:
> I think your right Elson, though...who the hell is Us3? I've never=20
>heard of 'em.=20

GAAAASP! [picks self up from floor], US3 had a CD called "Hand on the =
Torch" out on Blue Note. The big singles, here in Australia anyways, =
were "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" and "Tukka Yoot's Riddim". I count =
this as one of my *****BEST***** CD's of all times & it is permanently =
on my regular playlist. Here's the lowdown on US3 courtesy of the CD =
liner notes: (c) Blue Note etc.

"Blue Note Records first made the scene 54 years ago in January 1939 via =
the hippest man of the 20th century - Alfred Lion. In the 40's and =
50's he signed and recorded [lotsa people, I ain't gonna list them all] =
Hancock, Miles, Trane, Horace [all the biggies]. In 1985, Bruce =
Lundvall hooked up with Alfred to relaunch the inactive Blue Note label. =
[snip] Well into his 70's, Alfred's fascination at that time was Prince =
[symbol formerly known thereof] and Living Color! [snip]

US3 took their name from an Alfred Lion produced Blue Note date with =
Horace Parlan - soulful Blue Note pianist [snip]. All of the samples =
here are from Alfred's legacy - he produced every note sampled here =
including Pee Wee Marquette's announcement on Cantaloop (he was the =
midget M.C. at Birdland who Prez (Lester Young) used to call `half a =
mother f__ker'). [snip]"

In a nutshell,..US3 (Mel Simpson - producer, mixer, =
keyboard/programming, Geoff Wilkinson - samples, programming, scratches, =
Alfred Lion - legacy, attitude, hipness) sampled heaps of old Blue Note =
stuff and turned it into some really wicked hip-hop/acid jazz. You =
can also get a 2CD set called "Straight No Chaser" on Blue Note (nothing =
to do with the mag) which has the original recordings from which the =
samples were taken. This features: Art Blakey, Hancock, Rueben Wilson, =
John Patton, Lou Donaldson, Monk, Grant Green, Bobby Hutcherson, Horace =
Silver, Donald Byrd. Some of the popular tracks are: Cantaloupe Island, =
Alfie's Theme, Cool Blues, Straight No Chaser, Filthy McNasty.

Fans of the roots of acid jazz should definately have both these in =
their collection.=20
Go forth,..purchase!

-> Wondering if the "Get Shorty" soundtrack qualifies as an "Acid Jazz=20
-> Comp."

>hmmm, perhaps a bit unusual for an AJ comp., but cool none the less!

I'd say yes, what the heck! My local acid jazz specialist has been =
putting it in the acid jazz racks, thats for sure. =20

Carl