Soul-Jazz Flute




Flute may not be the first instrument one thinks of as a funky instrument, but it has its place along with any other lead instrument. Flute also makes a favorite second instrument for many horn players, probably because it lends, as most woodwinds do, an exotic (serene, tranquil, ethereal) quality. The airy flute's pastoral associations contrast sharply with the more urban pound of funky bass, drums, and waka-waka guitar.

Buying: Despite a paucity of great flute LPs, odd flute cuts abound in production, soundtrack, and compilation albums.



Soul-Jazz & Funky Flute LPs

ill)
Rating
6Jeff Afdem & the Springfield Flute; Capitol/Burdette ST-5162 (mod)
7Jean Cohen-Solal: Musiques et Instruments Insolites; Sonopresse/Daphy 69.504-U (w/Serge Franklin on sitar & Marc Chantereau on tabla; more out than soul jazz but w/some funky & Indo-jazz parts)
[Eric Dolphy]
8The Dynatones: The Fife Piper; Hanna-Barbera HST-9509/HLP-8509; 1966 (soul-jazz flute/soul-jazz horns/mod soul)
7Bobbi Humphrey: Flute-In; United Artists/Blue Note BST-84379; 1972 (w/Lee Morgan; covers "Sidewinder")
9Bobbi Humphrey: Dig This!; United Artists/Blue Note BST-84421; 1972 (w/Alphonse Mouzon, Wilbur Bascomb, Horace Ott..)
8Bobbi Humphrey: Blacks & Blues; United Artists/Blue Note BN-LA142-G; 1974/1973
8Bobbi Humphrey's Best; United Artists/Blue Note BN-LA699-G; 1976/1973-76
7Moe Koffman: Tales of Koffman; United Artists Jazz 15029; 1962 (breakbeat; mod jazz "Jazz Merengue" like "Soul Bossa Nova")
The Moe Koffman Quartet: The Swingin' Shepherd; Jubilee
7The Moe Koffman Quartet: The "Shepherd" Swings Again; Jubilee JLP-1074 (not yet soul jazz but good)
6Moe Koffman Goes Electric; Jubilee JGS-8009
7Moe Koffman: Turned On; Jubilee JGS-8016
7Moe Koffman: Moe's Curried Soul; Buddah/Kama Sutra KSBS-2018
[Yusef Lateef]
7Jayson Lindh: Ramadan; CTI/Metronome DIX-3000; 1971 (Sweden)
7Jayson Lindh: Cous Cous; CTI/Metronome DIX-3001; 1972 (Sweden; soul-jazz flute/Mid-East jazz)
7The Herbie Mann--Sam Most Quintet [For Flute Lovers]; Bethlehem BCP-40 (not soul jazz)
7Herbie Mann Discotheque; Atlantic SD-1670; 1975 (disco/flute/Moog funk; w/Ray Barretto, Barry Rogers, Pat Rebillot, Cissy Houston..)
Lloyd McNeill
7James Moody: Sax & Flute Man; Paula LPS-4003; 1973
8Ken Munson: Super Flute; Paramount PAS-6049; 1973
8Alan Parker/Alan Hawkshaw/Joe Haider; KPM 1080; 1972 ("Hot Pants"; production; flute/mod soul-jazz/funky rock/bass)
8Jeremy Steig: This Is; Solid State SS-18059; 1969
8Jeremy Steig: Energy; Capitol ST-662; 1970
8Jeremy Steig: Fusion; Groove Merchant GM-2204; 1972/1970 (2-LP; reissues Energy and adds a second LP's worth from the same session)
7Jeremy Steig: Wayfaring Stranger; Blue Note BST-84354
6Jeremy Steig: Temple of Birth; Columbia KC-33297; 1975
5Jeremy Steig: Firefly; CTI 7075; 1977
8Lew Tabackin: Rites of Pan; Inner City IC-6052; 1979/1977-8
7Joe Thomas: Comin' Home; Buddah/Cobblestone CBS-7001 (mod jazz)
6Joe Thomas: The Joy of Cooking; Groove Merchant GM-504
Joe Thomas: Joe Thomas is the Ebony Godfather: Today (arr. Chico O'Farrill)
6Dave Valentin: Flute Juice; GRP GRP-A-1004; 1983
8Frank Wess: Wess to Memphis; Stax/Enterprise ENS-5001; 1971
6Frank Wess: Flute of the Loom; Stax/Enterprise ENS-5006; 1973


Partly Funky/Soul-Jazz Flute LPs

7Bilal Abdurahman w/Jack Stubbs & Latif Abdul-Zahir: Innovative Rhythmic & Tonal Textures [for Little Ones]; Folkways FC-7535; 1976
7"Haji Baba": Crazy Bongo; Modern MLP-7025 (bongo bop/Afro-Cuban/Latin jazz/flute; probably Buddy Collette & others; parent label of Crown, on which several similar LPs)
6Tony Bruno: Hell's Angels '69 ST; Capitol SKAO-303; ("Chase of Death"; biker/conga/flute/country funk)
7Bernard Estardy: Electro Sounds Volume 2; Telemusic TM-3033; 1973 (production/Moog/space-electronic/Moog funk/flute; France)
7David Holland: Zouche Drums; Chappell LPC-1083; 1976 (production; drums/flute/funk/funky rock)
7The Impact of Brass: Motown/Rare Earth R-529-L; 1971 (mod funk w/flute on "The High Place" & some electric sitar)
6Ole Jensen & his Music; Chappell LPC-1040; 1970 (production/bongo bop/beatnik/spy/mod/flute "Flute Juice"/Tibetan)
8Del Jones; Positive Vibes; Hikeka HR-3331 (DM-68474)
6Latin All Stars: Jazz Heat Bongo Beat; Crown CST-5159/CLP-5159 (bongo bop/Latin jazz/flute; Eddie Cano, Buddy Collette, Tommy Tedesco, Larry Bunker, Tony Reyes, Carlos Mejia, Darias)
8Lightfire: Pop Drops; Maritim 47-567-NT; 1974 (funky rock/funk/mod funk/soul-jazz flute "Flute Man"/space funk/soul jazz/soul-jazz piano; Germany)
7Don Ralke: Bongo Madness; Crown CLP-5019 (bongo bop/Afro-Cuban/Latin jazz/flute/bongo; w/Jack Burger, Buddy Collette, Don Tosti, Tom Wofford; United-Superior US-7801)
7Malon: Rebellion; Philips 6397032; 1976
9Owen Marshall as Captain Puff in the Naked Truth; Aditi 1975
7Alan Parker: Hot Ice; De Wolfe DWS/LP-3278; 1974 (production; funk/funky Moog/soul-jazz flute)
7Superstrings Plus: Cult & Colour; De Wolfe DWLP-3215; 1971 (production; soul jazz/soul-jazz flute/Mexicali; mainly Lee Mason)
7Piero Umiliani: El Corpo ST; Easy Tempo ET-933; 1999/1974 ("Desert Island"; exotic funk/percussion/Moog funk/Moog/flute)
7Various: Abet Review Vol. 1; Nashboro/Abet 409; 1976 (Ingram Family, Skip Mahoaney, Jesse Morrison--"Tell Me Can You Feel It", The Nazty, Freddie North, Oliver Sain, Ureaus)
7Various: The Best of Luv N' Haight Volume One; Ubiquity/Luv N' Haight LHLP-011; 1993/?-'77 (soul jazz/funk/Moog/flute/guitar)
9Various: Jazzy Funky New Orleans; Tuff City/Funky Delicacies DEL LP-0022; 2001/1962-72 (compilation)
8Various: [Black Power Presents:] Suono Libero--A Trip Through Obscure '70s Jazz-Funk Tracks from Italian Music Library (sic); IRMA/La Douce 806; 1997/1968-84 (funk/soul-jazz organ/soul-jazz vibes/soul-jazz piano/soul-jazz flute/soul-jazz horns/soul-jazz conga/Brasil)
9Various: Trippin'--The Groove Merchant Compilation; Ubiquity/Luv N' Haight LHLP-027; 1996 (Dadisi Komolate's "Speak No Evil")


[Partly] Funky/Soul-Jazz Flute 45s

8Big Black: Come On & Get It, Baby (If You Want It)/The Snakecharmer; MCA/Uni 55051 (shorter versions than on LP; B-side an exotic flute feature)
8Ernie Fields, Jr.: Watch Your Step/Funky Pipes; Kent KS-4554 (flute/bagpipes)
7Hutzler's Theme (Something Wonderful Happens...when you put a little Hutzler's in you life!)/same; Hutzler's (department store chain; commerce/mod/flute)
8Moe Koffman Quartet: Little Pixie/Koko-Mamey; Jubilee 5324
6James Rivers: The Center Cut/I Hear Ya; JB's Records 7042 (prod. Senator Jones)
8The Silhouettes: Oh What A Day/Red Snow; Western World WW-5503 (mod vocal/mod soul-jazz flute instrumental; Carnegie PA)


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