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Back In The Day Music!: Hidden Beach Records - Unwrapped, Vol. 4
Hidden Beach Records - Unwrapped, Vol. 4
Please get yourself together readers, 'cause this review is a present about to get "UNWRAPPED"!
This is when Hip Hop meets Jazz & gets a SUPREME touch!
For when Hidden Beach Records -- originators of the Unwrapped Series of Hip-Hop/Jazz projects -- came together again to present us Volume 4..., the 'game' they bring has changed!
This offering from the various Jazz & R&B Studio Musicians & Vocalists possibly provided us with the best instrumentation/fusion collaborations ever recorded on record. Each track has its on flavor. Its own distinction.
Originally, the Rap tracks has already been known worldwide in the hip-hop community. From Rap classics such as "Children's Story" (Slick Rick), "Rapper's Delight" (The Sugarhill Gang), "Hip Hop Hooray" ( Naughty By Nature)...to.. current trendsetting hits like "21 Questions" & "Candy Shop" (50 Cent), "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See" (Busta Rhymes), "Lean Back" (Fat Joe) & much...much more! Trust me on this one, people....Here's the many attractive contributions from these specialists:
Patrice Rushen
Frank McComb (Vocals & Fender Rhodes)
Mike Phillips (Sax)
Andrew Gouch'e (Bass Guitar)
oel Summerville (Trumpet)
Jeff Bradshaw (Trombone)
Karen Briggs (Violin)
Donald Hayes (Sax)
Dee Dee O'neal (Vocals)
Jeff Byrd (Percussions)
Richard Turner, Jr. (Piano)
Peter Black (Rhythm Guitar)
Jarius Mozee (Guitar)
Mike Logan (Acoustic Piano)
Corey Wilkes (Trumpet/Flugalhorn)
Joel Whitley (Guitar)
Johnny Britt (Trumpet)
"J.R." Hutson (Drum Programming)
Jason Freeman (Keyboards)
Steve Eisen (Soprano Sax)
Bendricks (Lead Guitar Solo)
Jae Deal (Bass)
Ivan Dupree & Jonathan Pierre (Programming & Keyboards)
...and much more! They had taken each track & changed the variables in such a way, the corresponding or related composition would sound more sequenced on a JAZZ level/apptitude. They simply improvised in areas of instrumentation for the music to possibly make the original tune sound much better than what was intended. Producing an offset of the original to perhaps be appreciated more than the original composition. Not to mention the amount of players involved to clearly show you the difference! Many of the songs contained interpolations & samples, but wait until you catch a hint of the various solos they offer throughout this record!!!
"Hate It Or Love It"(The Game). They recreated this track in such a way, you would possibly forget who originally did it. Donald Hayes flowed on the sax so rich...heh...he dropped his chops for both the Alto & Tenor! However, when Karen Briggs stepped up to the plate & gave us a taste of the violin for a superior solo, well...the rest is history! In a matter of fact, she does it again for "Lean Back" (The Alternate Version)!
Many of you have some to recognize Vocalist Frank McComb as just being a singer, but all of that will change once you get a dose of his Fender Rhodes solo on "Hate It Or Love It". < (Alternate Version). Its a HEAVY dose!!! In fact, this version is much better than the selected version, in my opinion. Joel Whitley is also gettin' down for the guitar solo, thats for sure!
"Rappers Delight" opens up with a latin jazz influence & from there, Mike Logan provided us with a dose of an Acoustic Piano Solo experience that would make piano lovers appreciate fine sidebars! He is then followed very closely by the graceful trumpet playing of Mr. Corey Wilkes. Corey played a well thoughtful solo, I thought...Watch out for those cats now!
"Treat Em Right" (Chubb Rock) allowed Mike Phillips, Jeff Bradshaw & Dennis Nelson to go relentless (solo), entertaining a thought that they may have also grown to appreciate this hip-hop classic too!!
I could go on raving about the many contributions these jazz artists & vocalists gave to this project. It would be in your best interest to pick this one up! I DO NOT want to spoil the fun you will have listening to this by giving up all the info!
The "Unwrapped" series is only getting better & better overtime with age, like fine wine. It could possibly be that they, themselves, aim to please! Or maybe they challenge each other in out-doing the competitor &/or themselves. In any event, You will NOT go wrong with this one.
Many different compilations have been released in the past few years where record labels have brought together a great mix of talented & well known jazz musicians to participate in projects geared to blend in samples of todays pop/R&B & Hip-Hip tracks & recompose them into smooth or contemporary jazz music. "This project, may be the best one out of all of them!" May you be the judge!
The Jazz Community needs a revolutionary project like this.....Theres a 'no holds barred', 'lets get together' & 'get dooowwwn(!)' feel to this centerpiece!
Terrill J. Hanna The Urban Music Scene
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