Dorothy Ashby

The definition of a cult classic; Sadly taken at just 53, Ashby never lived to see the accolades and plaudits she so deserved but the ongoing adulation this record receives is testament to her powers.

Huge tip if you dig the harp work of Alice Coltrane or Mary Lattimore. You will not be disappointed.

'Afro Harping' is the first of a rarefied and outstanding trilogy of soul-jazz albums by dorothy ashby that were produced for cadet records (chess) by richard evans between 1968 and 1970. Remastered from the original ¼ inch tapes by alex wharton at abbey road studios, afro-harping is filled front-to-back with sumptuous and hypnotic grooves. Its african percussion, soulful orchestrations, in-the-pocket rhythms and dorothy’s virtuosity take it far beyond jazzy mood music and made it a favourite of beat heads and producers; sampled by pete rock, kendrick lamar, jay dee (aka j dilla), madlib, flying lotus and many others.

This deluxe version features eight bonus tracks, alternate takes from the surviving four-track session reels that are arguably superior to those on the album, including an explosive rendition of the single, ‘soul vibrations’, extended versions of its title track and ‘little sunflower’ and two fantastic jazzy readings of ‘theme from valley of the dolls’. Additional flavour is provided by some of the in-studio ‘atmosphere’ that accompanies the bonus cuts. The session reels also featured the voices of dorothy, evans and others: encouragement, laughter, a brief burst of beatboxing and a mild disagreement over how many bars had been played, for example. In many cases these elements have been left where they were found, the better to experience the sheer joy of being in the room with dorothy and some of the chicago’s finest musicians in the winter of ’68.

Though all her recorded output is strong, afro-harping is truly special. “she was an expert on the harp and did things very instinctively. I think she just wanted to please me, and that’s why those recordings are different,” evans remembered. Unfortunately, on release, 'afro-harping' came and went without significant fanfare and, not long after their third and final record together, the rubaiyat…, the ashbys left detroit and moved to la, where dorothy concentrated on session work, appearing on records for bill withers, bobby womack, stevie wonder and others.

This special release is testament to its lasting appeal, the bonus tracks shedding new light on the inner workings of dorothy ashby at the peak of her creativity alongside a visionary producer able to highlight her gifts in a way that perhaps only he ever could. As marshall chess says, “you know, i get asked about the blues and chuck berry or the rolling stones all the time, but dorothy ashby and richard evans were both geniuses that a lot of people still don’t know about today.”