Hand On The Torch é o album de estreia da banda jazz-rap Us3. O disco destacou-se devido à sua mistura de jazz e rap utilizando músicos de jazz ao vivo. Todas as samples usadas no disco são de clássicos da Blue Note, desde a mais famosa Cantaloupe Island de Herbie Hancock até outras de Art Blakey, The Jazz Messengers, Lou Donaldson, Thelonious Monk, Grant Green, Bobby Hutcherson, e Horace Silver.

• Universal Must Vinyl Series
• Duplo LP Vinil Audiófilo 180 Gramas
• Corte partir das Masters Originais da Universal Music
• Corte realizado na SST Bruggemann GmbH na Alemanha
• Prensagem pela Pallas da Alemanha
• Capa Multi-Fold de 6 painéis Deluxe
• Capas interiores com forro polietileno
• Remasterizado Oficialmente
• Faixa Bonus Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) (Instrumental Version)

Us3 is the brainchild of London-based producer Geoff Wilkinson. Formed in 1992, alongside production partner Mel Simpson, Us3 rose from the ashes of 2 previous incarnations. The first was a limited edition white label 12” release in 1990 called “Where Will We Be In The 21st Century” featuring rapper MC Honey B and jazz pianist Jessica Lauren.

This brought the attention of a (then) fledgling indie label, Ninjatune, and the result was NW1’s 1991 12” “The Band Played The Boogie.” By sampling one of the biggest dancefloor tunes of the burgeoning jazz dance scene, Geoff had unknowingly started a chain reaction. The tune he sampled was Grant Green’s “Sookie Sookie,” originally released on Blue Note Records.

London’s Kiss FM playlisted “The Band Played The Boogie” and Geoff received a call summoning him to EMI’s offices in London. Knowing the sample had not been cleared Geoff was nervous, but somehow talked himself out of being sued and into the Blue Note vaults. By allowing complete access to their legendary back catalog, Blue Note went back to the future.

“It was a brave decision by Bruce Lundvall (Blue Note President),” says Geoff, “but he made me record some demos first, to prove I could do it.” One of those demos, recorded in March 1992, was the Herbie Hancock sampling “Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia).” Exactly two years later it was sitting in the US top ten. The resulting album Hand on the Torch subsequently become a global phenomenon. It was the first Blue Note album ever to achieve Platinum status (1,000,000 sales) in the US.

The worldwide success of Us3 took everyone by surprise, and proved a point to Geoff. “I always thought there was a huge potential audience for jazz amongst younger people, and I wanted Us3 to be a point of access for them. By sampling classic jazz tracks, mixing them with beats and raps, and having younger jazz cats playing on top I was acknowledging the past, staying rooted in the present, and looking forward to the future, all at the same time.”


Músicos:

Mel Simpson, teclado, programação
Geoff Wilkinson, samples, programação, scratches
Rahsaan, rap
Kobie Powell, rap
Tukka Yoot, rap
Gerard Presencer, trompete
Dennis Rollins, trombone
Mike Smith, saxofone tenor
Ed Jones, saxofone soprano, saxofone tenor
Steve Williamson, saxofone soprano
Tony Remy, guitarra
Matt Cooper, piano
Marie Harper, vozes

Lista de Faixas:

LP 1 Lado A
1. Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)
2. I Got It Goin' On
3. Different Rhythms Different People
4. It's Like That

LP 1 Lado B
1. Just Another Brother
2. Cruisin'
3. I Go To Work

LP 2 Lado C
1. Tukka Yoot's Riddim
2. Knowledge of Self
3. Lazy Day

LP 2 Lado D
1. Eleven Long Years
2. Make Tracks
3. The Darkside
4. Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) (Instrumental version)

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