Artist:Gang Starr
Song:Jazz Thing
Album:Full Clip: A Decade of Gang Starr
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Though the rap duo Gang Starr never had that big hit single, they were highly respected in the rap community. Chris "DJ Premier" Martin is especially known for his love of jazz. That's what Jazz Thing is about. The song appeared on the soundtrack of Spike Lee's 1990 film Mo' Better Blues. Lee even directed the video. Jazz Thing is essential. But it's not on a Gang Starr album so it's a discography orphan. Keith "Guru" Elam formed Gang Starr in 1987. He is from Boston. They released a couple of singles. But it wasn't working out and they disbanded. Martin sent him a beat tape from his home in Houston. Elam liked it enough that the two relocated to Brooklyn and got a record deal with Chrysalis. After releasing the 1989 album No More Mr. Nice Guy, Lee called them to contribute a song to Mo' Better Blues. Of course the film was about jazz so Martin was thrilled. Plus he got to work with film composers Terence Blanchard and Branford Marsalis. I'm sure he was very happy. Marsalis co-wrote and produced Jazz Thing with Gang Starr. Musicians are Marsalis on sax, Blanchard on trumpet, Kenny Kirkland on piano, Robert Hurst on bass and Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums. The bass sample is from the 1971 Kool & the Gang song Dujii. Other samples include Thelonious Monk, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and Charles Mingus. Jazz Thing was only released on the Mo'Better Blues soundtrack which is available. But it also appears on this 1999 2CD comp from Virgin. It doesn't appear on other Gang Starr comps because Virgin would have to pay a licensing fee to Columbia. Gang Starr split up in 2002. Elam died of a heart attack on Apr. 19, 2010. Martin is active mostly as a producer. He formed The Gang Starr Foundation as a tribute to their legacy. Here's the video for Jazz Thing by Gang Starr.
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