05 November 2008 (gig)
17 November 2008
After 20 years in the business Guru is still the main man at the forefront of a genre that he created. If Hip Hop is cool and Jazz is even cooler, Hip Hop Jazz is verging on icy. Hiding behind shades and Yankees cap at all times he doesn't give much away. Throughout the evening his facial expression changes less than Dani Minogue after a heavy botox session. It's not because he is bored, or incapable of expressing emotion. It is because he is very very cool.
One of the first artists to mix Jazz and Hip Hop, Gangstarr's first album No More Mr Nice Guy in 1989 paved the way for acts like A Tribe Called Quest and Digable Planets. Seven more Gang Starr albums followed, then five under the Jazzmatazz series. A few more solo and movie projects and we have Guru in 2008, still touring and writing as actively as ever. This tour is to promote the new Jazzmatazz offering - the Mixtape: Back to the Future.
Expectations were high for tonight's performance. Playing with live trumpet, bass and legendary party DJ Doo Wop, Guru and his new partner 'Super Producer' Solar looked at home in front of a packed and lively Jazz Cafe crowd. When the 5 of them clicked this was a great live act. Talented instrumentalists and engaging personalities bringing Jazz to a Hip Hop crowd and vice-versa. Occasionally I got a sense that a token trumpet solo was thrown in to a track to make it cross into Jazz. But then I got caught up in the quality of the solo and everything seemed great again. Music that innovates and experiments doesn't always need to make sense. If this was too seamless it would lose some of the live charm which is what Jazz gigs are all about.
With so many vocal collaborations on the Jazzmatazz albums it would have been good to see a singer in the line-up. Having said that Guru is one of the most talented rappers in the history of the genre and to see him perform live at an intimate venue was a genuine pleasure. With a secret film project and more from 7 Grand Records coming up, Guru doesn't look like quitting any time soon. It doesn't really matter what he does next, you can guarantee that it will have intelligence and soul in abundance.
