Afro-Harping (Dig) [Original recording remastered]

Dorothy Ashby | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 25, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 1968
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Verve
• ASIN: B00008LKG0
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,833 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #56 in Music > Jazz > Cool Jazz
  • #95 in Music > Jazz > Bebop > Hard Bop

Editorial Reviews

No description available.
Genre: Jazz Music
Rating:
Release Date: 0000-00-00
Media Type: Compact Disk

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the BEST jazz harp album in history !, August 14, 2004

By 

Susan Taggart (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Afro-Harping (Dig) (Audio CD)

Dorothy played bop with the creme of jazz musicians including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Booker T. Jones. She is best remembered for her pioneering jazz funk studio work in the 1960's. She was befriended by singer Bill Withers, (Lean on Me), who helped her obtain work with Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and other prominent popular musicians. She released nine solo albums in the 60's, the best of which are the three albums for Cadet:

Afro Harping, Cadet LPS-809,

Dorothy's Harp (VERY RARE - choose between a car payment or the vinyl) her personal best in my opinion Cadet LPS-825

Rubaiyat, Cadet LPS-841

I fell in love with Dorothy Ashby as a little girl, and she became my "hero" upon reading about her life. Her father was jazz guitarist and she grew up sitting in on jams with her piano. She took up the harp in high school where she had to share an instrument with many students. After several successful years as a pianist in Detroit jazz clubs, she took a huge risk in realizing her goal of purchasing her own harp and cleverly marketing her trio with free shows and events.

The album, Afro Harping, is a ground-breaking recording because of its merger of classical string arrangements, chunk bass, tight winds and a throbbing drum beat. The ethic of jazz is to internalize the melody long enough to hold it in your soul. Then, in the case of the harp, to literally PULL it from within your body and using your prism, your own paradigm ... directing its energy through the instrument and sending the song's power into the room. Dorothy's prism was lush, quirky, funky and full of nuance.

I have this quote in calligraphy on my harp rehearsal room wall:

"Jazz harp isn't just a novelty, though that is what you expect. The harp has a clean jazz voice with a resonance and syncopation that turn familiar jazz phrasing inside out."

Simply put, this album is an astonishing fusion of what, until Dorothy, seemed inconceivable to jazz aficionados!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thanks Verve!, December 2, 2003

By 

mike (Adelaide, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Afro-Harping (Dig) (Audio CD)

I only learnt about the existence of this record a couple of weeks ago on that great rare groove records web-site HIPWAX, apparently the original vinyl is a real rarity. Imagine my surprise when walking into my favourite record store and there it was on CD!

It is truly beautiful, it's the only record I've ever bought that I've played 5 times in a row upon hearing. While not everyone digs jazz-harp, I'm a big vibes lover, so I think this is amazing. And to be sure, there are some wonderful grooves on this, the song "Afro-harping" is a rare groove lovers wet dream. Unfortunately the session-men aren't credited, I for one would love to know who they were.

It's only going to be available until March 2006, so be quick!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars excellent, April 7, 2010

By 

Bill Your 'Free Form FM Handi Cyber Print DJ ... (Mahwah, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Afro-Harping (Dig) (Audio CD)

Harp is not normally considered a jazz instrument though it is not unheard of: Alice Coltrane made some great records in the early 1970s with the harp.

Dorthy Ashby is not nearly as out as Alice: in fact, not out at all. Most of the music on this fantastic 1968 album would be at home in a Audry Hepburn film of the era. It is a nice mix of lounge and blues. It is far from easy listening music, but a nice beveled mix of light jazz informed by the rock revolution

Either way, Ashby's harp adds a unique dynamic to all of this, and if you like esoteric ideas in jazz--even if you are not one to travel to destinations out--you should try this.