Look Who’s Talkin All Dat Jazz

Posted by Maria Miaoulis in Jazz Events, News

July 29th, 2010   No Comments »

shephatiah-album-cover

Musician and producer Shephatiah's album aims to bridge the gap between jazz lovers and hip hop fans.

A post recently caught my attention, and I thought Jazzville, NJ readers would find it just as interesting. So here goes:

What do you get when you mix classic jazz melodies and modern hip hop beats? No, it’s not Jay-Z or any of his peers doing a rap rendition of “Moanin.” Surprisingly, you’re given a 19-track jazz compilation of blues and soul numbers with a DJ vibe to usher in a new era of jazz.

Musician and producer Shephatiah’s “Look Who’s Talkin All Dat Jazz” is trying to bridge the gap between jazz and hip hop audiences who ironically listen to the same kind of music, but don’t realize it. That’s because most of the music that R&B and urban artists perform and that’s popular with kids today can actually be traced back to the jazz that we listen to.

With this album, Shephatiah channels the creativity and spontaneity of open band sessions where musicians played unscripted, instead drawing inspiration from each other. After giving it a brief listen on Amazon, I have to admit it’s pretty good.

If you’re just as curious as I was, you can preview the album here. Let me know what you think!