If you read the news, the world is collapsing. If you go outside, everything looks relatively mild — at least compared to Mad Max. We have at least a good three or four years before we devolve to the level where warlords reign and Lil Peep is the Secretary of Emotion. On the plus side, I imagine it’s hard to get 4G service in a dystopian hellscape, so we won’t know what’s going on on Twitter or in Washington, so maybe we will all be a bit more content. At least if the coal companies haven’t permanently poisoned our water supplies. 2017, what a pleasurable experience.
As always, I have few answers and more questions. If there is a single answer to this chaos, it’s that you should listen to more jazz (shout out S-Lox). The beautiful thing about listening to more jazz is that all you have to do is listen to more jazz. You don’t need to talk about it. You don’t have to write about it. You just need to listen.
The Massachusetts DJ/producer, DJ Manipulator understands this as well as anyone. As a gift, he cooked and seared this 30-plus minute all-vinyl mix of jazz songs that served as the spine of hip-hop classics. You’ll recognize cuts from Jay Z and DOOM, Earl and Gang Starr. De La and Meth and Red. In Manipulator’s words,”Jazz is indeed damn-near everything.” This is not an alternative fact.
The tracklist is below. You know what to listen to.
Tracklist:
01. Intro/Ahmad Jamal – Swahililand (0:00)
02. Eddie Henderson – Inside You (1:19)
03. Idris Muhammad- Piece of Mind (2:30)
04. David Frost and Billy Taylor – Bright Star in the East (4:13)
05. Ramsey Lewis – Tambura/Scratch Interlude (6:00)
06. Jack Wilkins – Red Clay (6:53)
07. Stevie Wonder – How Can You Believe (8:39)
08. Laboratorium – Szalony Baca (9:42)
09. The Catalyst – The Demon Pt. 2 (12:10)
10. Kool and the Gang – North, East, South, West (13:20)
11. Quincy Jones – Snow Creatures (15:08)
12. David Matthews – Arrakis (16:38)
13. David Matthews – Sandworms (17:42)
14. Dreams – Dream Suite (18:55)
15. Unknown (19:48)
16. Kool and the Gang – Soul Vibrations (21:05)
17. Detroit 1984 – Swamp Fox (22:27)
18. Herbie Hancock – Stars In Your Eyes (23:34)
19. Bobbi Humphrey – Satin Doll (25:54)
20. Larry Clark – Sweet Dreamer (27:48)
