Some early ninties digs

I love the Nineties. Well, it wasn't a great decade. I mean, it was pretty depressing with the grunge and the flannel. The only thing that really came out of the nineties that was worth anything was its hip-hop music (but even then, not all of it.)

My favorite 90s hip-hop is definitely the more jazz oriented.  Digable Planets, Souls of Mischief, Tribe Called Quest, etc. The Tribe and Souls of Mischief especially.

First up, Eddie Henderson, trumpeter/flugelhornist.  On his great album Heritage he had this track.

"Inside You" is such a deep and funky jazz joint. Good drums, good rhythms, great horn playing.  The drums at the beginning were the main loop of "Tell Me Who Profits" by Souls of Mischief.  Dope drums...Domino did a great job finding that record, and I almost died when I found it.

A Tribe Called Quest...that should be all I ever need to say to make your heads nod. Today, we are gonna focus on the track "Check the Rhime" off of The Low End Theory. Classic album, classic track, classic samples. The focus is even more narrowed down to "Hydra" by Grover Washington, Jr. (who, if you dig, you know. And if you know, you own.) and "Love Your Life" by Average White band, who are probably the funkiest white boys on the planet, except maybe Bob James (who coincidentally arranged Feels So Good, the album from which "Hydra" comes.)

Hydra

The bass, that main groove...damn. So amazing. Of course, Grover Washington's horn playing is what attracts the jazz-heads; it is the bass of Louis Johnson that attracts the sampologists!

Love Your Life by Average White Band brought us those amazing horns you hear throughout "Check the Rhime." It is a classic loop that, even though not many have used it, has a great life to them. I couldn't find a video of it, but I am sure you will be able to.

Peace and love. Keep our music alive.