About

Afro-Harping is the first of a rarefied and outstanding trilogy of soul-jazz albums by Dorothy Ashby. Remastered from the original tapes, Afro-Harping is filled front-to-back with sumptuous and hypnotic grooves. Its African percussion, soulful orchestrations, in-the-pocket rhythms and Dorothy's virtuosity take it beyond jazzy mood music and made it a favorite of beat heads and producers.

Of the 11 albums released during her lifetime, Dorothy Ashby's Afro-Harping holds a distinct yet undercelebrated place in the jazz canon. Her earlier recordings were steeped in the language of bop and hard bop, while Afro-Harping, the first of her three albums for Cadet, emerged at the intersection of soul, blues, funk, pop, hard bop, and crossover classical. Produced by the legendary arranger Richard Evans, it fit Cadet's '60s aesthetic in juxtaposing, combining, and reframing boundaries between musical genres. The label struck paydirt with its previous experiments, like Rotary Connection's eponymous debut album mashing together soul and psychedelia, and Muddy Waters' own collab with Rotary Connection on Electric Mud. Afro-Harping sounds like an Evans production, since he also arranged and conducted its string, brass, and reed ensembles, as well as Theremins, guitars, basses, and keys. Its layered percussion and polyrhythms underscore lush textures that move Ashby's signature lyricism in the foreground.

This deluxe edition features eight bonus tracks — alternate takes from the surviving 4-track session reels, including an explosive rendition of the single, "Soul Vibrations," extended versions of the title track and "Little Sunflower," plus two fantastic jazzy readings of "Theme from Valley of the Dolls." Double LP set. — via Label
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Remastered from the original 1/4-inch tapes
Deluxe Edition on double vinyl LP with eight bonus tracks

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Label: Cadet, Universal Music Recordings, Verve Records
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, Deluxe Edition, Remastered
Country: Worldwide
Reissued: 2024 / Original Release: 1968
Genre: Jazz
Style: Soul-Jazz, Jazz-Funk

File under: Soul-Jazz, Jazz-Funk
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