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TAV ESSENTIAL LISTENING

“Peace yo, and welcome to Jazzmatazz – an experimental fusion of hip-hop and live jazz.” Never has there been a more perfect intro to an album than this opening by Gang Starr’s Guru. His first solo album represents the pinnacle of the symbiotic courtship between rap and jazz - anchored by Guru’s smoky, deep baritone East Coast flow alongside first-rate, heavyweight jazz instrumentalists such as Lonnie Liston Smith, Branford Marsalis, Ronny Jordan, Donald Byrd and Roy Ayers. Jazzmatazz presents the listener with a playful dialogue between both genres - with each track a mission statement bridging generations, eras and styles. Considering the increasing prevalence of jazz-rap fusion in recent times, Jazzmatazz was truly a prescient record that cemented Guru as a visionary.