Jazz Room Records reissues rare 1977 jazz-funk album from Florida group Jazzberry Patch
With each incredible release, Paul Murphy’s Jazz Room Records has quickly become the source for essential jazz dancefloor reissues. The London-based label has most recently put out a welcomed reissue of the extremely obscure 1977 private-press jazz-funk album from South Florida trio Jazzberry Patch, featuring the late great Mike Longo as a special guest on Fender Rhodes.
Led by saxophonist and flautist Ben Champion, keyboardist/organist and vocalist Ken Burkhart, and drummer Danny Burger, this 6-track recording comes sprinting out of the gate with the 20 minute title track , which has been described as a “Headhunters Headspace”. The brilliant opening track takes listeners on a journey, from funky soul-jazz to more mellow cosmic moments before building back up into some heavy Moog synthesizer based grooves. If that wasn’t enough, the album some other standout moments, including jazz-funk cuts “Planed Off” and “These Are My Friends”, the more bluesy “Sand ‘N’ Your Blues”, and the astral-traveling crooner “Sugar Bear”.
Joining Longo as guest musicians on the session are Kelton Champion on guitar, Gary Champion on bass, Mickey McGann on keys and David Winters on congas and additional percussion.
With original copies now going for $300 or more (that’s if you can even find one), it’s great to see this very rare jazz-funk masterpiece receive an official reissue and now made available for wider audiences.
Jazzberry Patch — ‘s/t’
(Originally released: 1977 / JBP Records)
(Reissued: 2022 / Jazz Room Records)
- Jazzberry Patch
- Over Easy
- Planed Off
- Sugar Bear
- Sand ‘N’ Your Blues
- These Are My Friends
