Milton Wright
Spaced

During the 1970s, innovative musicians redefined the sound of Jazz, Funk, and Soul music, digging deeper than ever before to unearth powerful new sonic textures. One such pioneer was keyboardist Weldon Irvine, a Jazz-Funk luminary who released some of the most revered recordings of the era. Irvine’s 1975 album “Spirit Man” is a true masterpiece, full of infectious grooves and otherworldly electronic elements. Entirely composed, arranged, conducted, and produced by Irvine himself, the album remains a potent artistic statement, both deeply spiritual and intensely funky. Crate diggers may recognize the opening track “We Gettin’ Down”, which was sampled by A Tribe Called Quest for their classic single “Award Tour”. Now, “Spirit Man” is back in print on limited-edition vinyl, complete with updated artwork. Order this official deluxe reissue now.

On the fourth album of his fusion cycle for the man from the Black Forest, George Duke substantially expanded the number of his colleagues. As before, drummer Leon “Ndugu” Chancler beats as the heart of the rhythm section, and the Brazilian couple, Airto and Flora are again on board. The ten tracks perform a stylistic balancing act. The jittery funk of Chariot and the smooth ballad Someday show off Duke’s soulful vocal flair. Flora Purim crowns the complex Look Into Her Eyes with her spheric sound as she and guitarist George Johnson take care of business on this stratospheric piece with its bluesy electric shuffle. With two high-voltage guitarists (Daryl Stuermer and Byron Miller), That’s What She Said points to the tie between rock and funk. The most eye-opening outing occurs with star guitarist Lee Ritenour stomping on Rokkinrowl, I Don’t Know, and its Hendrix parody. Sister Sirene shows that, naturally, the typical dreamy Duke instrumentals are not left off the album. An almost animistic soundscape is woven into the fabric of Mashavu, and Giant Child Within Us – Ego is a small fusion suite encompassing the spectrum from the classical to the Zappaesque finale. The title piece is indeed a blues, dished out pure and simple – a far cry from the sounds of the preceeding piece with its mountains of synthesizers. Rather, the sultry delta heat, the acoustic simplicity and raw truth of the song prevail – the blues.