Grass Roots: Musical Influences & Inspiration [IMPORT]

Ashley Beedle

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 29, 1999)
• Original Release Date: November 1, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Strut
• ASIN: B000026IOL
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #410,402 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Introduction (Windy City Theme) - Windy City

2. Liberation Song (Red, Black and Green) - Brian Jackson, Gil Scott

3. Sweet Thing - Rufus & Chaka Khan

4. Let Me Down Easy [12" Disco Version] - Rare Pleasure

5. My Baby's Got ESP [Special Disco Version] - Four Below Zero

6. Welcome to the Club - Blue Magic

7. Stan's Theme

8. Gibraltar - Freddie Hubbard

9. Hihache - Lafayette Afro Rock Band

10. J Dub's Theme - Son of Bazerk

11. Canned Interlude - Ashley Beedle

12. Doin' It - Gwen McCrae

13. Feel Up [Original U.S. 12" Version] - Grace Jones

14. Adventures in Success [Dub Copy] - Will Powers

15. Stop Bajon... Primavera - Tullio De Piscopo

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Jazz Funk/Rare Groove. Ashley is the Man Behind Afro Art and Black Science Orchestra, as Well as Being a Ballistic Brother and Remixer and Producer in his Own Right. This Compilation Focuses on the Underground Jazz, Funk, Northern and Balearic Side of Hisupbringing.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Back to the past (and forward to the future), March 13, 2008

By	Kevin W. Celebi "Jazz Musician" (Greencastle, IN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I haven't delved much into acid jazz or any of its several similar fields (funk, house bands, DJ mixes of old stuff) - yet couldn't resist buying this to see what Beedle did with Freddie Hubbard's "Gibraltar." Before buying the album, I played some samples at AMG to see if the grooves were worth seeking out - and my then-girlfriend couldn't stop dancing and urging me to go for the grooves.

"Grass Roots - Musical Influences and Inspirations," besides having an extraordinarily long title, also has an extraordinary amount of music - full to the brim 80 minutes. There is plenty here to please for fans of urban music, pop, disco, funk, and acid jazz. Beedle really digs into some old chestnuts from the 70's and mixes them with jazz loops and samples some vocal clips with smooth ambiance beats. The album is full of groove and literally doesn't have a second without a breakbeat behind it.

If you grew up in the 70's and loved (good) disco and its irresistible ability to get people up and dancing, then you'll love the modern touch added here to the old genre. Along with the soulful singing, you'll hear wailing soul-jazz sax, busy electronic bass, and fervent drumbeats. There's really not much else to say - the album is perfect for developing a bumpin' milieu, gettin' your partygoers in the groove mood, or just having something to increase the hip factor of the room you're in.

That being said, there is much disco in these 15 tracks - almost every single track is comprised of disco music. Nothing necessarily wrong with that, if the DJ can keep the beat fresh enough to be danceable to, but those that tire of disco music easily will tire of this album very fast. If you love disco, however, you'll be dancing all night.

Now, this album is rare and DJ Ashley Beedle is someone you rarely hear of. Are there better funk and acid jazz records? Probably. But to capture jazz, the 70's, funk, disco, and modernism, I can't think of a more effective and grindin' album than Grassroots. Take the beats out for a test drive, and if you dig `em, get your house party into the red-hot tone of funky.