Seriously Deep

構成数 : 1枚
合計収録時間 : 00:00:00
A shadowy presence on the music scene since the mid-`60s, David Axelrod has garnered a reputation in specialist corners as a producer's producer. Most famous for his stint as Capitol Records' in-house producer and A&R man, he attracted a devoted following in soul, jazz, and (most recently) hip-hop circles, legions of whom became instantly drawn to his imaginative productions. Keeping busy for much of the 1970s recording such soul-jazz greats as Cannonball Adderley and Gene Ammons, Axelrod made occasional forays into solo projects and in 1975 released his sole album for Polydor, SERIOUSLY DEEP. Featuring a cast of seasoned session players such as Joe Sample, Ernie Watts, and Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, the album reflects a change in style away from the sweeping string orchestrations of his `60s work, towards the striped-down jazz-funk and fusion stylings of the era. While the stable of musicians involved here is impressive, the album is notable for not including Axelrod's production hand, instead outsourcing those duties to Jimmy Bowen and Cannonball Adderley. This fact takes nothing away from the sheer force of Axelrod's contributions as composer, arranger, and conductor. Weaving deep, funky breaks over slippery soloing, the album is a veritable panorama of instrumental timbres and cinematic textures. Leading off the set with the horn-driven funk of "Miles Away," a simple looping melodic figure develops thematically from instrument to instrument before Sample finally rips in with a searing Arp synth solo. Continuing in the grooving soul-jazz mode, "1,000 Rads" begins with sparse congas which finally flourish into a fully-formed tenor sax-driven number replete with string interludes and synth bass workouts. Remarkable is the fact that all this activity never for a minute approaches typical jazz-fusion pomp and excess, a reflection of Axelrod's inimitable conducting and arranging skills.