Customer Reviews

Cosmic Lounge

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This is an incredible compilation from beginning to end if you're receptive to semi-obscure deep soul/cosmic/black Jazz from a great period of the 60's and 70's. Highly recommended. I can't wait for volume 2. Only quibble is that the liner notes on my copy are almost impossible to read.

If you're a fan of Miles Davis's "On The Corner" period or Herbie Hancock's "HeadHunters" era, then King Britt's Cosmic Lounge is essential listening. Much like listening to anything from Herbie or Miles during this period, you're being taken on a unusual journey that goes beyond the typical album listening experience. The theme on this collection is to connect the musical rituals of the Motherland (aka Africa) to the cutting edge funk jazz sound of the 70's. Has that been done before? kind of. The only difference between these tracks and the more popular fusion recordings that worked under the same theme is that, a lot of these are more africanized than the rest of the bunch. In Cosmic Lounge, expect to hear a lot of african chanting, crooning, precussions, and soundscapes along with the strppied down funk jazz.

As for the quality of the collection, it's a well rounded set that changes tones from track to track but always manages to stay within the theme. It almost sounds like a concept album without the cohesive feel that makes those type of albums great. An obvious standout is Eddie Henderson's "Scorpio Libra". With it's two note bass assualt and a steady JB backbeat, it's easily the most contagious composition on the set (especially when the sax solo comes in). The only flaw with this track is that it fades out during the piano solo. It's all good though. The other ten tracks are stellar, but Doug and Jean Carne's interpretation of John Coltrane's "Naima" is a wonderfully executed slow piece that brings a magical end to a magical journey.

I'm giving everyone fair warning that not every track on here is the funky uptempo jazz of "Scorpio Libra". As I stated earlier, there's a lot of atmospheric tracks mix in with the funky tracks to keep the album within its theme. Some may find themselves skipping over these tracks if they don't care for them. But for those who dig the concept, the atmospheric tracks are rich in its rewards and it complement the uptempo material perfectly (the best of all being "Moving Pictures 4 The Ear").

If you're a fan of this genre of jazz, buy it. But when you stop at this lounge, don't expect to get the feeling of forty somethings sitting at a bar, sippin a few rounds, and talking about their week at work while vintage r&b music is playing in the background (no pun intended!). This is a spiritual plateau unlike no other, not even in the jazz world. I wouldn't put this collection of music up there with the innovative work of Miles and Herbie, but it's just as mind opening.

A veritable train-wreck of a CD/concept album. "When the funk hits the fan" was great fun. The "Late night" CD was good too. But this is turgid and boring. The last track, an uninspiring version of "Naima", will be the devil's choice for elevator music on the descent to hell! It would drive your hamster demented! The unreadable liner notes (not sure whether the printer or the graphic designer got it wrong) add insult to injury. Give it a miss this Xmas!