Us3 ‎
Hand On The Torch

Blue Note

Regular price
$95.00 SGD
Regular price
Sale price
$95.00 SGD

About

A TAV Essential Listening Album.

Hand on the Torch is the debut album by the jazz-rap group Us3. It received much attention because of its mix of jazz and rap, using live jazz musicians. All samples used on the album are from old Blue Note classics: the most famous being Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island", used on the track "Can-taloop (Flip Fantasia)", which was recorded with two different music videos. – Wiki

“Hip-hop/jazz fusionisters Us3 have forged the most elaborate union between the styles since the early days of Gang Starr and A Tribe Called Quest. Blue Note's vast catalog gives them a huge advantage over several similar groups in terms of source material, and classic sounds by Art Blakey, Horace Silver, and Herbie Hancock provide zest and fiber to their narratives. Indeed, when things falter, it's because the raps aren't always that creative. They are serviceable and sometimes catchy, but too often delivered without the snazzy touches or distinctive skills that make Quest and Gang Starr's material top-notch. But when words and music mesh, as on "Cantaloop" or "The Darkside," Us3 show how effectively hip-hop and jazz can blend. ~ Ron Wynn” – Blue Note Records

"Cantaloop," with its sampling of Herbie Hancock's classic tune and the voice of Pee Wee Marquette, features Presencer's clear trumpet voice integrated with the sample; rapper Rahsaan says, "Gimme more of that funky horn," and the trumpeter goes off on a powerful solo to match the description. "I Got It Goin' On" uses the sampling of Reuben Wilson's organ as a backdrop for horn work by Presencer, Rollins, and Smith; trombonist Rollins presents a bebop solo with clearly-defined articulation and a warm, confident tone. The rap lyrics of "I Go To Work" offer a theme similar to that of the other tunes: despite growing up in a rough neighborhood and facing many obstacles, we are able, with a hardened attitude, to do the right thing after all. – All About Jazz

 

About Us3:

“The jazz/hip-hop fusion collective Us3 scored a major hit in 1994 with "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)," a song that displayed the group's fondness for sampling classic recordings on the Blue Note label (in this case, Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island"). The group was founded in London in 1991 when concert promoter and jazz writer Geoff Wilkinson met Mel Simpson, who was writing music for television shows and ad jingles and had once played keyboards with John Mayall. The two produced an independent single, "Where Will We Be in the 21st Century?," which sold less than 250 copies. In 1992, their song "The Band That Played the Boogie" attracted the attention of Blue Note owner Capitol Records, which gave Simpson and Wilkinson free rein to sample anything from the catalog. The two immediately went to work, hiring several musicians and rappers Kobie Powell and Rahsaan Kelly, with Tukka Yoot joining later. The sessions resulted in the hit "Cantaloop" and the album Hand on the Torch.

The group toured Japan and Europe, gradually weaning itself away from using samples in a live setting, and played a well-received show at the 1993 Montreux Jazz Festival. Hand on the Torch was ignored by most jazz publications, but was chosen Album of the Year by Japan's Swing Journal, and the group were named Jazz Musicians of the Year by Britain's The Independent. After a nearly three-year delay, Us3 returned in 1997 with Broadway & 52nd, an album which received positive reviews but failed to generate a hit. The band -- though it was mostly Wilkinson and guests at this point -- continued to release new material into the new millennium, however, including 2005's Questions and 2007's Say What!? ~ Steve Huey” – Blue Note Records

Item description:

Artist:

Us3

Title:

Hand On The Torch

Label:

Blue Note

Format:

2 × Vinyl, LP, Album, Deluxe Edition, Remastered, Gatefold 180g

Pressing:

US

Release Date:

This reissue: 2015 | Original – 1993

Genre:

Jazz, Hip Hop, Electronica

Style:

Acid Jazz, Jazzy Hip Hop

Catalog No:

LP43023

Condition:

New