75 (Lp)

Be With Records present a reissue of Ceasar Frazier's 75, originally released in 1975. Funky soul-jazz organist Caesar Frazier crafted superior Hammond funk. 75, his second LP, is a rare gem. It's comfortably his greatest artistic statement. The follow-up to Hail Ceasar! (1972), it's a taut, grooving set that expands his sound and, put simply, it's got better songs. The key elements of his debut album are all there -- production from maestro Bob Porter, accompaniment from hip players (Bernard ''Pretty'' Purdie, Cornell Dupree, John Tropea) and arrangement from Horace Ott -- but the overall sound is elevated. The tightly jamming, expressive jazz-funk makes for a richer, fuller, more satisfying experience. 75 is a mixture of hard-driving originals, deeply beautiful slower numbers to vary the tempo and a couple of classy covers. The crazy bombastic ''Mighty Mouse'' -- a riot of horns, organ and in the pocket drums -- became an acid jazz classic at Dingwalls and it's easy to see (hear?) how. A blissed-out, lushly instrumental take on Seals and Crofts' ''Summer Breeze'' follows, perfect for those sunshine sets. Side A closes with the heavenly ''Sweet Children''. A loping, funky jazz masterpiece famously sampled by Kanye West for Common's ''Real People'' from Be (2005). It opens beautifully, with soaring sax and a funky horn section combining with weightless keyboard tones atop snapping drums. Unsurprisingly, the excellence endures right through to the end. The B side opens with pe

Tracks

1~1~Summer Breeze
1~2~Sweet Children
1~3~Funk It Down
1~4~Living For The City
1~5~Walking On The Wild Side

Details

Format: Vinyl LP
Artist: Ceasar Frazier
Release Date: 08 November 2019
Genre: Soul
Label: BE WITH RECORDS
Distributor: Rocket Group