DOROTHY ASHBY — Afro-Harping (review)

DOROTHY ASHBY — Afro-Harping album cover Album · 1968 · Cool Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Rokukai
I've been listening to this one for years now (thanks Sams!), and it's been playing all day in my player. It's been good-to-great background music for me. It's mainstream jazzy loungish feel is easy on the ears. It's not really funky or street, just melodic jazz with a harp as a lead instrument. Dorothy Ashby is a super figure in the history of jazz music, yet remains unnoticed except her single "The Moving Finger" being featured on rare groove comps and other various samples.

The first two songs are great, with the second "Games" showing a cool latin inflected beat, showcasing the harpist's instrumental prowess in the most glorious manner.

Most of the songs just kind of roll along, I mean how dynamic can you really be over the course of an album with the harp as your main instrument?

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dreadpirateroberts wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Sounds, great, I love harp as a lead instrument, thanks Wade

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