Life is all about connecting the dots and sometimes those dots come from two very different places yet seem to fit so perfect together. Hip Hop and Kung Fu has always gone hand in hand and with that connection, Jazz music has found it’s way connecting to the culture and it’s foundations as well. From DJ’s rockin’ doubles of Bob James “Take Me To The Mardi Gras” and The Headhunters “God Make Me Funky” to the flipping of samples from any number of CTI, Blue Note or Mainstream catalog selections, it’s always been there. The collective known as Shaolin Jazz has put in quite sometime connecting all three and presenting them in a very special way, sonically and visually.
Many of you may be familiar with their Shaolin Jazz ‘The 37th Chamber” where they borrowed acapellas and vocal samples from the legendary Wu Tang and fused them over various Jazz songs to create a masterpiece. Well they’ve return to the land of Shaolin with their latest mix, “Byrd Over Staten – A Shaolin Jazz Tribute To Donald Byrd”. Once again they’ve tapped the brotherhood of the Wu for vocal duties on this journey to fly along with one of the jazziest cats ever, Donald Byrd.
The project is available now for download over at shaolinjazz.com and while you’re digging in to this project, be sure to familiarize yourself with their lecture series and Can I Kick It events.