David Axelrod - Seriously Deep

The axeman cooketh and grooveth

Hitting the racks as the sequel to 1974’s Heavy Axe, Seriously Deep arrived the following year on Polydor, catching David Axelrod still in his pomp before he hit hard times during the early 80s. The victim of poor promotion and distribution at the time of its initial release, Seriously Deep has subsequently become something of a collector’s, item thanks to the cult status afforded it after being ransacked for samples by high profile crate-diggers such as DJ Shadow.

Very much of its time with its sleek blends of jazz, soul and funk, and an at times pronounced cinematic edge (nowhere more noticeably so than on Ken Russell, with its big Schifrinesque moments) Seriously Deep continues Axelrod’s long and fruitful association with Cannonball Adderley, here credited as co-producer.

Mixing the almost telepathic interplay of Leon Ndugu Chancler’s tightly-sprung beats and Joe Sample’s keyboards, with brass, cascading strings and Axelrod’s consummate lightness of touch, the opening Miles Away could almost be mid-70s Weather Report. That’s not as fanciful as it might seem, given Axelrod’s groundbreaking work with the Cannonball Adderley Quartet on Capitol, featuring one Joe Zawinul, during the 60s.

Él | ACMEM 138 CD

Reviewed by Grahame Bent
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