Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue notes of jazz and the blues. Originally dedicated to recording traditional jazz and small group swing, the label began to switch its attention to modern jazz around 1947. From there, Blue Note grew to become one of the most prolific, influential and respected jazz labels of the mid-20th century, noted for its role in facilitating the development of hard bop, post-bop and avant-garde jazz, as well as for its iconic modernist art direction.
Jazz rap is a fusion of jazz and hip hop music, as well as an alternative hip hop subgenre, that developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. AllMusic writes that the genre "was an attempt to fuse African-American music of the past with a newly dominant form of the present, paying tribute to and reinvigorating the former while expanding the horizons of the latter." The rhythm was rooted in hip hop over which were placed repetitive phrases of jazz instrumentation: trumpet, double bass, etc. Groups involved in the formation of jazz rap included A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets, De La Soul, Gang Starr, and Jungle Brothers.
Bitches Brew is a studio album by the American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Miles Davis. It was recorded from August 19 to 21, 1969, at Columbia's Studio B in New York City and released on March 30, 1970, by Columbia Records. It marked his continuing experimentation with electric instruments that he had featured on his previous record, the critically acclaimed In a Silent Way (1969). With these instruments, such as the electric piano and guitar, Davis departed from traditional jazz rhythms in favor of loose, rock-influenced arrangements based on improvisation. The final tracks were edited and pieced together by producer Teo Macero.
Leonard "Lenny" White III is a fusion jazz drummer best known for his innovative contributions to the genre, in which he set musical standards that continue to influence musicians today. Throughout the course of his career, White was a member of the band Return to Forever led by Chick Corea in the 1970s, and he has played with the likes of Miles Davis and Al Di Meola. White has been called "one of the founding fathers of jazz fusion".
Tutu is an album by jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, released in 1986 by Warner Bros. Records. The album is Miles Davis' tribute to Archbishop Desmond Tutu who was a human rights and anti-apartheid activist. It was recorded primarily at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles and Clinton Recording in New York, except the song "Backyard Ritual", which was recorded at Le Gonks in West Hollywood. Davis received the 1986 Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist Grammy Award for his performance on the album.
Rasassination is the second studio album by American rapper Ras Kass. It was released on September 22, 1998 via Priority Records. Recording sessions took place at Stu's Kennel, at Audio X Recording Studios and Enterprise Recordings in Burbank, at PatchWerk Recording Studios in Atlanta, at Henchmen Recording Studio and Unique Recording Studios in New York, at Echo Sound in Los Angeles, and at Creator's Way Recording Studio in Chicago. Production was handled by Stu-B-Doo, Klev, Easy Mo Bee, Flip, Jaz-O, Toxic, Twelve, and Ras Kass himself. It features guest appearances from Bad Azz, Dr. Dre, El Drex, Jah-Skillz, Jazze Pha, Kurupt, Mack 10, Phil Da Agony, RZA, Saafir, Twista and Xzibit. The album peaked at number 63 on Billboard 200 and number 11 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States. Its only single, "Ghetto Fabulous", made it to number 56 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Behind Bars is the third studio album by the British-American rapper Slick Rick, released in 1994 on Def Jam Recordings.
A Tribute to Miles is a tribute album recorded by the then surviving members of the Miles Davis "Second Great" Quintet: pianist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams. Taking the Davis role was trumpeter Wallace Roney.
Robert Andre Glasper is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger. His music embodies numerous musical genres, primarily centered around jazz. Glasper has won five Grammy Awards from 11 nominations.
The Promise is the eighteenth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire released in May 2003 on Kalimba Music. The album peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 5 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums chart.
T.E.V.I.N. is the debut studio album by American R&B singer Tevin Campbell. It was released by Qwest Records on November 19, 1991. The album was certified platinum by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1994.
Momentum is a 2005 studio album by American jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman's Elastic Band. The album was released on 24 May 2005 by Nonesuch label. All compositions are original works by Redman unless otherwise noted.
Gregory Allen Kurstin is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. He has won nine Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year, Non-Classical in 2017 and 2018, and contributed to four songs which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100.
Compositions is the fourth album by American R&B/soul singer Anita Baker. The album peaked at #5 on the US Billboard 200 and was certified platinum in 1990, making it Baker's third platinum selling album. The album also won the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 1991 Grammy Awards. Two of its tracks charted on the Billboard Hot 100, with "Talk to Me" peaking at number 44 for three consecutive weeks on July 28 and August 4 and 11 and "Soul Inspiration" at number 72 on October 13, 1990. Compositions would be the last album and collaboration between Baker and producer Michael J. Powell.
William S. Schnee is an American musician, music producer, and audio engineer. Schnee has been nominated 11 times for the Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Grammy Award and worked on a multitude of other Grammy nominated and awarded albums. He has won two Grammys, an Emmy for Outstanding Sound for a Television Special, and a Dove Award. In a 45+ year career of very diverse artists, Schnee has received over 135 gold and platinum records and has recorded/mixed over 50 top twenty singles.
Osten S. Harvey Jr., better known by his stage name Easy Mo Bee, is an American hip hop and R&B record producer and DJ, known for his production work for artists such as Big Daddy Kane and Miles Davis, as well as his affiliation with Bad Boy Records in its early years, and his production involvement in The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut album, Ready to Die. He also produced two songs on 2Pac's album, Me Against the World.
Breathless is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard. The album was released on May 26, 2015 by Blue Note Records. The record also produced one single, "Soldiers".
The following is a discography of production by Easy Mo Bee, an American hip hop musician and record producer.
Music From "Mo' Better Blues" is a collaborative album by Branford Marsalis Quartet and Terence Blanchard. It was released in 1990 through Columbia/CBS Records as a soundtrack to Spike Lee's 1990 film Mo' Better Blues. Recording sessions took place at RCA Studios and Sound On Sound in New York. Production was handled by Bill Lee, Delfeayo Marsalis, Raymond Jones and DJ Premier, with Spike Lee serving as executive producer. It features contributions from film stars Cynda Williams, Denzel Washington and Wesley Snipes, and American hip hop duo Gang Starr.
Everything's Beautiful is an album by American musician Robert Glasper based on Miles Davis' samples. It was released on May 27, 2016, through Blue Note/Legacy/Columbia Records. Recording sessions took place at Anu It! Studio, Brooklyn Recording and the Thingamajig Lab 2 in New York, Klearlight Studios and Precious House Studios in Dallas, the Peanut Gallery and Brightlady Studios in Raleigh, Willow Grove Studios in Australia, State Of The Ark in London, King Creative Studios and Wonderland Studios in Los Angeles, with additional recording at Westlake Recording Studios. Production was handled by 9th Wonder, Anu~Sun, Black Milk, DJ Spinna, Erykah Badu, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Hiatus Kaiyote, Jewels, Paris Strother, Rashad Smith, Robert Glasper, and Steve Berkowitz, who also served as executive producer with Adam Block, Erin Davis, Nicole Hegeman and Vince Wilburn. It features guest appearances from Bilal, Erykah Badu, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Hiatus Kaiyote, Illa J, Laura Mvula, Ledisi, Phonte, Stevie Wonder and We Are King, as well as contributions from bassists Derrick Hodge, Braylon Lacy and Burniss Travis, guitarists Danny Leznoff, Kyle Bolden and John Scofield, saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, and keyboardist Joe Zawinul among others.
