Dorothy Ashby Afro

Afro-Harping is the 1968 album by harpist Dorothy Ashby. Originally released on Cadet Records in 1968, this CD was released on 25 March, 2003 by the Verve Music Group.

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. This deluxe edition features eight bonus tracks - alternate takes from the surviving four-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." 2 LP set.

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. This deluxe edition features eight bonus tracks - alternate takes from the surviving four-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." 2 LP set.

Cue up “Soul Vibrations,” the first track on Verve’s reissue of Dorothy Ashby’s Afro Harping, and revel: a one-note syncopated bass line over a slamming drumbeat that you’re sure you’ve heard sampled somewhere. Enter the double-tracked theremins, followed by swoopy strings. Next, over the relentless beat, an echo-plexed harp solo by Ashby, during which the strings return with 16-notes; then the theremins run the groove into a fade-out. And there you have it: 3’15’’ of pure aural time capsule in all its mod glory.

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. This deluxe edition features eight bonus tracks - alternate takes from the surviving four-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." 2 LP set.

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. This deluxe edition features eight bonus tracks - alternate takes from the surviving four-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." 2 LP set.

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. This deluxe edition features eight bonus tracks - alternate takes from the surviving four-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." 2 LP set.

After nearly 10 years as Argo, the name of Chess Records’ jazz imprint was supposed to be the only thing about it that changed. But as Cadet Records assumed its new identity in the mid-’60s, the influence of the dawning psychedelic era, a boom of recording technology advances and, crucially, the arrival of a cadre of eager artists and brilliant producers put the label on a new, bewildering course to greatness. Tragic circumstances would bring about the label’s unraveling almost as rapidly as its meteoric rise, but not before Cadet released some of most audacious, boundary-pushing jazz, soul, blues and rock albums of the ’60s and ’70s — music that’s inspired generations of superstars, DJs and cratediggers ever since.

After nearly 10 years as Argo, the name of Chess Records’ jazz imprint was supposed to be the only thing about it that changed. But as Cadet Records assumed its new identity in the mid-’60s, the influence of the dawning psychedelic era, a boom of recording technology advances and, crucially, the arrival of a cadre of eager artists and brilliant producers put the label on a new, bewildering course to greatness. Tragic circumstances would bring about the label’s unraveling almost as rapidly as its meteoric rise, but not before Cadet released some of most audacious, boundary-pushing jazz, soul, blues and rock albums of the ’60s and ’70s — music that’s inspired generations of superstars, DJs and cratediggers ever since.