Bargain Bins #03
This third edition of BeatCaffeine’s Bargain Bins series features three great seventies-era jazz-funk selections that can often be found for five dollars or less.
Also remember to follow the Bargain Bins Spotify Playlist to hear highlights from each of the records featured in this ongoing monthly series.
The Crusaders
Those Southern Knights
(1976/ABC Blue Thumb)
The Crusaders, also known prior to 1971 as the Jazz Crusaders, wrote many great jazz-funk/fusion records during the seventies (and plenty of excellent more straight-ahead records in the sixties). Those Southern Knights was the group’s eighth studio recording under the more simplified name, The Crusaders. The album features three of the group’s best tracks including “Spiral,” “And Then There Was The Blues,” and “Keep That Same Old Feeling.” Overall, an absolute essential album from this legendary soul-jazz group.
Woody Herman
Giant Steps
(1973/Fantasy)
Their are a number of solid bargain bin Woody Herman albums worth owning if you are looking for some great breaks and/or sample material, including the late sixties records Light My Fire and Heavy Exposure. Another great inexpensive album from the big band leader is his 1973 Fantasy recording Giant Steps. The recording jumps around a bit from solid big band versions of Chick Corea’s “La Fiesta” and John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” to electric jazz groovers like “The First Thing I do,” and an extremely funky rendition of Eddie Harris’ classic jazz standard “Freddom Jazz Dance,” a track that is listed as #93 on BeatCaffein’s Top 100 Jazz-Funk list.
George Benson
In Flight
(1977/Warner Bros. Records)
The recording features the often overlooked nine-minute jazz-dance rendition of War’s “The World Is a Ghetto,” which is worth the dollar or two this record will typically go forth. The album sold over a million copies featuring some incredible musicians like Ronnie Foster (electric piano), Ralph MacDonald (percussionist), Jorge Dalto (clavinet), Harvey Mason (drums) and others. This recording began a transition from Benson’s more Wes Montgomery-influenced jazz sound to a more crossover commercial sound featuring the guitarist also on vocals.
BEATCAFFEINE BARGAIN BINS PLAYLIST
(This playlist will be updated monthly)
