Dorothy Ashby- Afro-Harping -Jazz Groovy Harp-NEW LP

Afro-Harping Dorothy Ashby   new LP   reissue   One of the grooviest records ever -- a sublime blend of African percussion, soulful orchestrations, and Dorothy Ashby's amazing electric harp! By the time of this landmark album, Dorothy had been knocking around the jazz world for a number of years, but it wasn't until she hooked up with Richard Evans at Cadet Records that her sound really began to cook -- breaking down genres and expectations in the trademark style of the best late 60s sides from the Chicago underground. The record's got a bit of funk, a bit of jazz, and a heck of a lot of soul -- and the setting works perfectly for Dorothy's harp, giving it a lot more room to work around than some of her smaller jazz combo albums. The album includes two great originals -- "Soul Vibrations" and "Afro-Harping" -- both of which have a nice funky edge, and a groovy soulful bounce -- and other tunes include  "Lonely Girl", "Life Has Its Trials", "Look Of Love", "Come Live With Me", and a great version of Freddie Hubbard's "Little Sunflower".
Along with Alice Coltrane, Ashby extended the popularization of jazz harp past a novelty, showing how the instrument can be utilized seamlessly as much a be-bop instrument as the saxophone. Her albums were of the jazz genre, but often moved into R&B, world and other musical genres.  
 
 
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