Even in an era of contemporary jazz music that derives influence out of the Drum ‘n’ Bass & Jungle world, or fast and furious fusion chops, you can neither fault nor deny the impact that Miles Davis’ ‘Kind of Blue’ LP had on the world, let alone jazz music. Not only is it formative in the world of audiophiles looking to expand their musical palette in the jazz world, but also a fundamental for jazz musicians. As a member of Tomorrow’s Warriors, I have the great fortune of playing with my mentor Dr. Gary Crosby OBE (one of the UK’s most revered jazz musicians) of Jazz Jamaica and Jazz Warriors. All of us youngsters want to play those fast licks; tunes that have so many notes and rhythm changes that it hurts! Countdown by John Coltrane, Donna Lee by Charlie Parker. But he’ll always direct us towards the blues. Tunes like Freddie Freeloader, All Blues. It just goes to show how a 70 year old album has stood the test of time.

I’m gonna be honest with you here. I’ve always been a fan of Jimi Hendrix and have always appreciated how culturally significant he was to music period, let alone rock music. In fact, as a drummer I’ve learnt a lot from some of Mitch Mitchell’s grooves on the ‘Axis: Bold As Love’ album. Having been sampled by A Tribe Called Quest on ‘Scenario’ and Joey Bada$$ on No.99, ‘Little Miss Lover’ was one of the first of many rhythms or hip-hop drum breaks that I learnt on the kit. Later on down the line when I was trying to get into more jazz playing and technique, ‘Up From The Skies’ taught me how to play with brushes and comp with independence on the hi-hat. Nevertheless, I’d NEVER gone out of my way to listen to a Jimi Hendrix LP in full! I don’t think I could’ve had a better introduction to his discography than ‘Are You Experienced.’ A few of the songs such as ‘Purple Haze’ and ‘Foxey Lady’ I’m familiar with, but the whole album in general I thought was exceptional. Definitely delving into his discography more in full depth. Guess you could say I’m NOW experienced…!

Away from the soul and r&b writings of Stax Records in the ‘60s, this record likely resonates with the avid hip-hop head, record collector or producer as being at one of the many cornerstones of sampling throughout hip-hop music. On this record, you’ll hear the original samples for ‘Warning’ by The Notorious B.I.G, ‘Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos’ by Public Enemy. Samples that allowed for these guys to flawlessly showcase their lyrical prowess. Nevertheless, in an era where 1:59 is an acceptable running time for a single in the charts, ‘Hot Buttered Soul’ emerges as the remedy. ‘Soul’ and ‘feel’ a bit a few things that can neither be encapsulated or condensed when it comes to music, and no one individual knows that better than Isaac Hayes. From the opening of ‘Walk On By’ right the way down to ‘By The Time I Get To Phoenix’, you can tell that Hayes meant every last note, let alone every last word he contributed towards this album.

This is the first time I’ve delved into folk music with direct listening intent and the first time I’ve listened to a piece of Bob Dylan’s discography in full. I feel as though ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan’ is the perfect amalgamation of easy listening compositions with character, and lyrical content with a potent message. A sigh of things to come down the line with other projects like Highway 61 Revisited and Blood On The Tracks, as well as his collaborative efforts with The Band. A new plateau had definitely opened up for me to venture into.