Records at Random Vol. 31 - Herbie Mann Memphis Underground


What do taking a freezing-cold shower, eating peanut M&M’s® candies for breakfast, and listening to the noise of what sounds like someone being thrown down the stairs (or possibly being bludgeoned with a fire-extinguisher… shout out Irreversable) in my hallway have in common? They’re all the random occurrences that lead up to my picking up my turntable’s tonearm and putting the needle down on today’s “Records at Random” record.

The record in question is Jazz flautist (shout out Ron Burgundy… AQUALUNG!) Herbie Mann’s 1969 Atlantic Records LP Memphis Underground. It’s not a rare find, nor is it particularly remarkable, being one of many “theme” albums Jazz heads and other session musicians of the day used to be so fond of putting out. In this case the focus is on lite-but-funky instrumental Jazz reimaginings of contemporary Southern Soul hits, a couple standards, and one standout original, recorded alongside a squad of Memphis-based sessioners and a handful of special guests. That said, it’s a testament to the musicianship of Mann and his band, including the legendary Roy Ayers on vibes, guitarists Larry Coryell and Sonny Sharrock, and Miroslav Vitous on bass, not to mention the artistic vision of Mann and his producers, that such a simple concept resonated with record buyers and continues to do so with record collectors, DJs and beatdiggers today.

If you dig, you know what I’m talking about. There are thousands of similar releases floating around packed with original instrumentals and covers of old-school hits done over in some new style (Jazz, Latin Jazz, “organ music,” Lounge, etc) by legions of musicians both big-name and unknown. I assume this is so because back then there was no Guitar Hero, so kids actually had to learn to play instruments and wound up recording their own versions of songs they loved rather than standing around miming them their living rooms. But I digress… Most of these records are curiosities, worth a listen for their camp value, the chance to hear a different take on a familiar tune, or to snatch a tasty break or sample, but few, if any, enter the public consciousness (despite encapsulating the zeitgeist of their respective eras), and if they do it’s often because they were sampled in more recent memory. In that respect Memphis Underground isn’t all that different, but it has it’s moments.

The title track, a Herbie Mann original, which has been notably sampled, is a laid-back Memphis Soul instrumental boasting a bouncy rhythm, airy flute trills, ringing vibes and some dirty fuzz guitar that easily could’ve been a Stax b-side. It’s fun and goofy, like something from a ’70s cartoon, or the soundtrack for a montage in a ribald comedy starring Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill. But it’s got a funky sex-appeal too, with a twitchy bounce reminiscent of the sultry switch in a foxy lady’s step, or a bump-n-grind throwdown on a bar-room dancefloor. While the rollicking cover of “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” and the uptempo but hazily mellow take on “Chain of Fools” shine, not just because of Mann’s flute, Ayers’ vibes, or the rhythm-section’s funk, but the face-melting guitar solos from Sonny Sharrock which turn the LP into something of a Memphis Soul acid-trip.

Psychadelic Soul from a Jazz guy doing a Stax-influenced covers album? Yessir! That’s why no matter how many variations on this sort of record I own, I’m always down to cop more.

- El Keter

This entry was written by El Keter, posted on December 7, 2007 at 12:18 pm, filed under Music and tagged . Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.

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