Bobbi Humphrey - Blacks And Blues (Blue Note 80 Vinyl Reissue Series) (1974/2019) [24bit/96kHz]

Flutist Bobbi Humphrey found wide success with Blacks and Blues (1973), her breakout third album for Blue Note, working with the Mizell Brothers (who had recently hooked up with Donald Byrd to produce the trumpeter’s landmark album Black Byrd) to create a jazz-funk classic for the ages featuring the standout track “Harlem River Drive.” Humphrey’s alluring flute and breezy vocals paired with Larry Mizell’s compelling R&B jazz fusion compositions and production proved a winning combination that would lead to future collaborations on Humphrey’s albums Satin Doll and Fancy Dancer.

This Blue Note 80 Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

AllMusic Review by Steve Huey
Bobbi Humphrey scored her biggest hit with her third album Blacks and Blues, an utterly delightful jazz-funk classic that helped make her a sensation at Montreux. If it sounds a lot like Donald Byrd's post-Black Byrd output, it's no accident; brothers Larry and Fonce Mizell have their fingerprints all over the album, and as on their work with Byrd, Larry handles all the composing and most of the arranging and production duties. It certainly helps that the Mizells were hitting on all cylinders at this point in their careers, but Humphrey is the true star of the show; she actually grabs a good deal more solo space than Byrd did on his Mizell collaborations, and she claims a good deal of responsibility for the album's light, airy charm. Her playing is indebted to Herbie Mann and, especially, Hubert Laws, but she has a more exclusive affinity for R&B and pop than even those two fusion-minded players, which is why she excels in this setting. Mizell is at the peak of his arranging powers, constructing dense grooves with lots of vintage synths, wah-wah guitars, and rhythmic interplay. Whether the funk runs hot or cool, Humphrey floats over the top with a near-inexhaustible supply of melodic ideas. She also makes her vocal debut on the album's two ballads, "Just a Love Child" and "Baby's Gone"; her voice is girlish but stronger than the genre standard, even the backing vocals by the Mizells and keyboardist Fred Perren. Overall, the album's cumulative effect is like a soft summer breeze, perfect for beaches, barbecues, and cruising with the top down.

Tracklist:
A1 – Chicago, Damn (06:44)
A2 – Harlem River Drive (07:24)
A3 – Just A Love Child (08:21)
B1 – Blacks And Blues (04:30)
B2 – Jasper Country Man (05:16)
B3 – Baby's Gone (08:47)



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