Dorothy Ashby

Dorothy Ashby

photo of American musician Dorothy Ashby

Source
http://www.mopmop.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Dorothy+Ashby++Autograph.jpg

De nombre real Dorothy Jeanne Thompson y nacida en Detroit, Michigan, U.S. el 6 de Agosto de 1932, falleció por cáncer el 13 de Abril de 1986 (con 53 años) en Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Fue compositora e intérprete de harpa y piano de Jazz. Aunque no conozco otro artista especializado en este instrumento, parece no ser el primer intérprete (hombre o mujer) de arpa en jazz, según nos cuenta Michael G. Nastos un poco más abajo, ya que Casper Reardon (de las bandas de Jack Teagarden) Adele Girard (actuando con su marido Joe Marsala) o Hale Corky fueron precedentes. Dorothy Ashby fue la arpista con más swing y en esta reedición en CD, que contiene sus dos mejores discos para los sellos Prestige y Prestige/New Jazz en 1958, “Hip Harp” e “In a Minor Groove”, quedan demostradas sus excepcionales facultades. Con los sonidos de flauta de Frank Wess cuidando el entorno, Ashby suena elegante y con frescura. Y sorprende su habilidad para conseguir una sonoridad tan peculiar y jazzy, utilizando en nuevos contextos un instrumento muy poco dado, en principio, a la música de improvisación.

Dorothy Ashby - 1958 - In A Minor Groove

Hip Harp, Prestige PRLP-7140

And

In A Minor Groove, Prestige PR/NJ-8209

Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in Hackensack, N.J.

March 7, 1958 (Tracks 1 to 7) 

And September 19, 1958 (Tracks 8 to 15)

Digital Remastering, 1992 Joe Tarantino
(Fantasy Studios, Berkeley)

Personnel

Dorothy Ashby (Harp)

Frank Wess (Flute)

Herman Wright (Double Bass)

Arthur Taylor (Drums) - 1-7 

Roy Haynes (Drums) - 8-15

Listado de Temas: 

Hip Harp:

01 - Pawky - 07:04 min.
02 - Moonlight In Vermont - 05:14 min.
03 - Back Talk - 05:04 min. 
04 - Dancing In The Dark - 04:43 min.
05 - Charmain - 04:01 min.
06 - Jollity - 03:35 min.
07 - There's A Small Hotel - 05:51 min. 

In A Minor Groove:

08 - Rascallity - 03:52 min.
09 - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To - 03:56 min
10 - It's A Minor Thing - 03:53 min.
11 - Yesterdays - 04:20 min.
12 - Bohemia After Dark - 06:17 min. 
13 - Taboo - 06:13 min.
14 - Autumn In Rome - 05:30 min.
15 - Alone Together - 04:59 min.

15 Temas - Tiempo Total: 01:14:32 

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Dorothy Ashby - 1968 - Afro-Harping [Ape]

Personnel:

Dorothy Ashby, harp;

Richard Evans, arranger/producer;

other musicians unknown.

Listado de Temas:

 01 - Soul Vibrations - 03:20 min.
 02 - Games - 03:55 min.
 03 - Action Line - 03:41 min.
 04 - Lonely Girl - 03:13 min.
 05 - Life has its Trials - 04:29 min.
 06 - Afro-Harping - 03:00 min.
 07 - Little Sunflower - 03:45 min.
 08 - Theme From 'Valley of the Dolls' - 03:33 min.
 09 - Come Live With Me - 02:37 min.
 10 - The Look of Love - 04:07 min.

10 Temas - Tiempo Total: 00:35:40
ape @ 933  - 213,10 MB
Uploader: Edelce

"Antes de que trabajara con gente como Stevie Wonder y Earth, Wind, and Fire, la arpista Dorothy Ashby colaboró con el arreglista Richard Evans para crear la exuberante mezcla de funk, soul y jazz de este álbum. Codiciada por arqueólogos de ritmos y ritmos raros, este LP imposible de encontrar hace su primera aparición en CD ". ~ Verve Music

Lonely Girl fue tomada de la banda sonora de Harlow
El tema de Valley Of The Dolls fue tomado de la película 20th Century Fox del mismo título


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Dorothy Ashby - 1970 - The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby [mp3@224]

Créditos

Alto Saxophone – Cliff Davis (tracks: B5)
Arranged By, Conductor, Producer – Richard Evans (2)
Art Direction – Dick Fowler
Composed By – Dorothy Ashby
Engineer – David Purple*
Flute, Oboe, Piccolo Flute – Lenny Druss* (tracks: A1-A5, B5)
Guitar – Cash McCall (tracks: B5)
Harp, Vocals – Dorothy Ashby
Kalimba – Fred Katz (tracks: A2, A3, B5)
Koto – Dorothy Ashby (tracks: B5)
Liner Notes – Yvonne Daniels
Photography By – Mel Kaspar
Vibraphone – Stu Katz (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B1, B3, B4, B5)
Violin – Ed Green (2) (tracks: A2)

Listado de Temas:

 01 - Myself When Young - 05:22 min.
 02 - For Some We Loved - 04:05 min.
 03 - Wax & Wane - 04:26 min.
 04 - Drunk - 02:33 min.
 05 - Wine - 04:01 min.
 06 - Dust - 02:52 min.
 07 - Joyful Grass & Grape - 03:40 min.
 08 - Shadow Shapes - 03:34 min.
 09 - Heaven & Hell - 03:12 min.
 10 - Moving Finger - 05:39 min.


10 Temas. Tiempo Total: 00:39:24
mp3 @ 224 - 64.77 MB

Notas

Original compositions inspired by the words of Omar Khayyam,
arranged and conducted by Richard Evans

Recorded at Ter-Mar Studios, Chicago, November 1969 - January 1970

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Reviews:

Review by Michael G. Nastos - AMG

Dorothy Ashby - 1958 - In A Minor Groove

While not the first male or female jazz harp player (Casper Reardon of Jack Teagarden's bands, Adele Girard performing with her husband Joe Marsala, or Corky Hale set precedents), Dorothy Ashby was the very best and most swinging performer on the multi-stringed instrument associated with the gates of heaven. Here on Earth, Ashby adeptly plucked and strummed the harp like nobody else, as evidenced on this single CD reissue containing her two best LPs for the Prestige and Prestige/New Jazz labels from 1958 -- Hip Harp and In a Minor Groove. Alongside her prior efforts for the Savoy label, they collectively represent a small but substantive discography for the Detroit native in small group settings. With the exceptional flute sounds produced by Frank Wess, the combo plays music that is oriented via a unique sonic palate, further enhanced by the principals in the standards and originals they have chosen. Fellow Detroiter Herman Wright is here on bass, with duties split between legendary drummers Art Taylor and Roy Haynes, who place particular emphasis on subtle brushwork. Of course, the watchword of Ashby's sound is elegance, as she and Wess weave magical threads of gold and silver through standards like the circular and pristine "Moonlight in Vermont," the dramatic, slow "Yesterdays," or the sad "Alone Together." In a more Baroque or chamber setting, "Charmain" and "It's a Minor Thing" have Wess and Ashby thinking on a regal or Grecian platform. The variety on this collection is impressive, as you hear cinematic bluesy proclamations on "Autumn in Rome," striking mystery in "Taboo," mischievous and sly winks during "Rascallity," and a sexy calypso-to-swing beat as "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" unfolds. Two originals of Ashby's stand out -- the well swung, blues based yet exotic "Pawky" with the singularly unique flute of Wess, and the delicate but decisive "Jollity" that moves along nicely. Of course these are straight-ahead mainstream jazz musicians, and you also get a soaring, clean version of the tricky "Bohemia After Dark" and "Dancing in the Dark," where Ashby's harp acts like a rhythm guitar. In fact, it is this aspect of Ashby's performing style that sets her apart from being a singular or simplistic crystalline melodic implement. Then add to this element that Wess is so acutely fine tuned to pure tonal discourse simply by the nature of his instrument, and can carry the load by himself. This is a delightful package that deserves further recognition as a project unique to jazz and modern music, perfectly showcasing Dorothy Ashby as an individualist for the ages.

Dorothy Ashby — Hip Harp ... LP Prestige

Great stuff by the grooviest artist ever to play a harp! Dorothy Ashby had a unique soul jazz harp sound, and although the instrument she used is probably more thought of in terms of bedtime lullabies, she actually makes it swing nicely, and with a soulful sound that draws back to traditions of African stringed instruments. Ashby was part of the same scene as Yusef Lateef, and like Lateef, she managed to use odd instrumentation in new contexts, to get a very unique jazz sound. This set's got harp and flute in the lead, and features the tracks "Pawky", "Charmaine", "Jollity", and "Back Talk". Also reissued with the original cover art!


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Dorothy Ashby - 1968 - Afro-Harping

By JOSHUA WEINER,
Published: November 2, 2003
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=12526

Cue up “Soul Vibrations,” the first track on Verve’s reissue of Dorothy Ashby’s Afro Harping, and revel: a one-note syncopated bass line over a slamming drumbeat that you’re sure you’ve heard sampled somewhere. Enter the double-tracked theremins, followed by swoopy strings. Next, over the relentless beat, an echo-plexed harp solo by Ashby, during which the strings return with 16-notes; then the theremins run the groove into a fade-out. And there you have it: 3’15’’ of pure aural time capsule in all its mod glory.

Afro Harping was arranged by producer Richard Evans (see also Groovin’ With The Soulful Strings ) and recorded by Ashby with unknown musicians for Cadet Records in 1968. As an example of Ashby’s talents as the undisputed master of the jazz harp (the stringed instrument, by the way, not the harmonica), it is not ideal; her earlier straight-jazz records make a better case for her instrument in improvised music. But as a groove-heavy slice of late-'60s lounge, it’s unbeatable. Actually, there are two styles on the album: a heavy funk, psychedelic groove showcased on the two side-openers, “Soul Vibrations” and “Afro-Harping”; and a genial, insinuating pop-jazz feel with more extensive displays of harp prowess. Both are lightweight and certain to garner the derision of jazz purists, but those with open ears will enjoy the record as a cheesy but delightfully fun artifact of a less self-conscious time.

Ashby contributes several beguiling themes, most of which (despite the title) are set to a lilting, bossa nova feel reminiscent of Burt Bacharach (whose “Look of Love” is featured), accompanied by strings, vibes, and flute. Ashby’s catchy lines on “Action Line” are reminiscent of a marimba, while at other times her harp plays a more guitar-like (“Afro-Harping”) or pianistic (Freddie Hubbard’s “Little Sunflower”) role.

It’s a fascinating glimpse into the use of this instrument in jazz that makes one curious to hear Ashby on her earlier, more bop-influenced dates, few of which are available on CD. Sometimes, as on “Lonely Girl” and “Theme From Valley of the Dolls,” the pop syrup is laid pretty thick. But in all, it’s good to have this album, which is apparently one of the most sought-after vinyl records among the beat-sampling crowd, available on CD. Those interested in 60s mod will enjoy it for its own sake, while others will be provided with an interest-piquing introduction to a largely forgotten instrument, and musician, in jazz.

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Dorothy Ashby - 1970 - The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby

Review by Thom Jurek - AllMusic 
Issued on Cadet in 1970, The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby is really a left-field offering for the jazz harpist. But being a jazz harpist was -- and remains -- an outside thing in the tradition. Her previous offerings on Prestige were pure, hard bop jazz with serious session players soloing all over them. She made recordings for Atlantic and Jazzland before landing at Chess in 1968 with Afro-Harping which began her partnership with arranger Richard Evans. Ashby became content as an iconoclast and was seemingly moving forward toward the deep well of spiritual jazz in the aftermath of John Coltrane's death and the recordings of Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane. On this set for Cadet, she again teams with Evans who wears the hats of producer, arranger, and conductor of a string section and the record goes in a somewhat different direction. Whereas Afro-Harping hit on a direction for Ashby and cemented her relationship with Evans, Rubaiyat realizes that partnership in total. With a band that included a host of percussion instruments -- Stu Katz played vibes and kalimba, and Fred Katz played a second kalimba, Cash McCall was enlisted as guitarist, Cliff Davis played alto saxophone, and Lenny Druss played flute, oboe, bass flute, and piccolo. There is also a bass player and a drummer but they are not credited. For her part, Ashby played her harp, but she also brought the Japanese koto into the mix as well as her voice. Rubaiyat is no ordinary jazz vocal album. It is exotic, mysterious, laid-back, and full of gentle grooves and soul. The opening cut, "Myself When Young," with its glissando harp and koto, is in an Eastern mode, and immediately lays out Ashby's vocal as this beautiful throaty, clear instrument hovering around the low end of the mix. Midway through it kicks into soul-jazz groove without losing the Eastern mode and goes, however gently, into an insistent funky soul-jazz groove. There is no kitsch value in this music, it's serious, poetic, and utterly ingenious musically. It sounds like nothing else out there. And it only gets better from here. The poem that commences "For Some We Loved" gives way to a percussion and koto workout that comes right from the modal blues. The oboe playing is reminiscent of Yusef's Eastern Sounds but with more driving, hypnotic rhythm. "Wax and Wane" begins with kalimbas playing counterpoint rhythms and Ashby singing in Japanese scale signature, but soon hand percussion, strings, and a flute enter to make the thing groove and glide, ethereal, light, beautiful. "Drink" is a pure soul-jazz ballad with harp fills, a funky bassline, and shimmering flutes above a trap kit. The piano solo -- played by Evans, we can assume -- on "Wine," is a killer move bringing back the hard bop and giving way to a smoking vibes solo by Katz. It's as if each track, from "Joyful Grass and Grape," "Shadow Shapes," and "Heaven and Hell," enter from the world of exotica, from someplace so far outside jazz and western popular musics, and by virtue of Ashby's vocal and harp, are brought back inside, echoing the blues and jazz -- check out the koto solo on this cut, by way of the symbiotic communication between Evans and the musicians. You can literally hear that Ashby trusts Evans to deliver. Ashby transforms "Shadow Shapes" and "Heaven and Hell" from near show tunes in her contralto into swinging, shuffling jazz numbers. The lithe beauty on display in her voice and the in-the-pocket backup of the rhythm section is flawless and infectious. The set ends on its greatest cut, "The Moving Finger." Introduced by what seems like an Eastern Buddhist chant, it quickly slips into harp, koto, guitars, drums, and bass bump. Evans adds strings for drama playing repeating two-note vamps before Katz and his vibes take the thing into outer space. The slippery guitar groove and alto solo that cut right into the flesh of the blues turn it into a solid late-night groover with plenty, plenty soul. The fuzz guitar solo playing counterpoint with the kalimba rhythms is mindblowing, sending the record off to some different place in the listener's head. And this is a head record. Time and space are suspended and new dimensions open up for anyone willing to take this killer little set on and let it spill its magic into the mind canal through the ears. Depending on how much of a jazz purist you are will give you a side to debate the place of this set in Ashby's catalogue. For those who remain open, this may be her greatest moment on record.


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Cuatro en Uno
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Fuentes consultadas:

http://www.allmusic.com

http://www.spaceagepop.com/ashby.htm

Más información en:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Ashby
http://www.flickr.com/photos/muycool/sets/72157605712829795/

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