Sunday, March 25, 2012

DOROTHY ASHBY - AFRO HARPING




Download here or here

Track 1 - Soul Vibrations
Track 2 - Games
Track 3 - Action Line
Track 4 - Lonely Girl
Track 5 - Life Has It's Trials
Track 6 - Afro-Harping
Track 7 - Little Sunflower
Track 8 - Theme From "Valley Of The Dolls"
Track 9 - Come Live With Me
Track 10 - The Look Of Love

I'll try to keep this post short because I've been struggling with a headache all day. I've seen this album floating around a few different places and was keen to give a listen. Was a little unsure what a harp based record might sound like but I ended up being pleasantly surprised with just how good this was. It's essentially a collection of jazz based tracks with a strong bossa / exotica feel to much of the music. Even with my headache I was compelled to listen from start to finish and found myself being entertained throughout. Awesome!

 

4 comments:

spacedboogie said...

Very nice. I can understand why you could keep listening to this with a headache.

Thanks for uploading.

Erica said...

Strange thing. Two weeks ago I heard "Soul Vibrations" on BBC Radio 6 Music during Gideon Coe's programme. (I am an American fan/listener of that station.) I was desperate to find a copy of the Dorthy Ashby "Afro-Harping" LP but had no luck. Thanks for posting it!

mondomark said...

This album has something of a following in Bristol, UK along with Alice Coltrane's Journey In Satchindananda of course. It's actually quite hip with the street kids and hippies, partly thanks to Fopp Records I think. Shame there aint more jazz harp around really, for this Dorothy Ashby effort is a corker. I have a nice deep groove reissue which sounds fantastic, though I'd love an original.

verge said...

yeah, MondoMark, this record also has a bit of a fanbase amongst US beat diggers/makers and has been heavily sampled and one of the tracks on this was also on one of the Dusty Fingers volumes. After hearing it on Dusty fingers, I immediately copped probably that same re-issue you have. And I'd love an original as well since i no longer have the re-ish, lol.

You also may want to check out her "Moving Finger" from her "The Rubaiyat Of Dorothy Ashby" LP from 1970. And also "Windmills Of Your Mind" cover off her Dorothy's Harp LP, which I just conveniently found links for both over at the excellent GhostCapital blog here:
http://ghostcapital.blogspot.com/2010/05/dorothy-ashby-dorothys-harp-rubaiyat-of.html

Still, imo, this "Afro Harping" LP is her best front to back burner.
thanks for posting Mr. Craig!