1977 Hubert Eaves “Esoteric Funk” on East Wind

1983 7” EP Malachi Thompson “Legends And Heroes” on Ra Records. Yeah, these two records usually sit in the same sleeve, and they were born to wedded, if that’s not too incestual an analogy. Some cool freebop jamming from Thompson that for a minute sounds like 1928 Cotton Club and features a pretty slick Coleman Hawkins impression by Carter “The Rise Of Atlantis” Jefferson before segueing back into avant chops featuring a pretty slick Monk impression by Rafik Abdur Rahim, who appears on the mildly controversial Mustafa “Polygamy”wax. 

1977 Hubert Eaves “Esoteric Funk” on East Wind. Could be wrong, but I get the sense that some deep J-Jazz heads look down on East Wind because they’re easy to find and cheap, given that the intention of the label itself was to promote J-Jazz in places other than Japan. Like, for instance, the United States. So they generally run around $30 and, let’s be honest, there’s some pretty tame/unlistenable titles. Fair enough. But there’s also some serious gems for the serious vinyl ferret willing to burrow beneath the first layer of EW mulch. And for my money, Esoteric Funk is not only one of the hardest to track down, but also (surprise) the best. Let’s start with the lineup, a bunch of poolhall randos paid in whiskey: Rene McLean, Mtume, Reggie Lucas (git slanger w/Miles 72-76’, and with writing partner Mtume shepherded Roberta Flack through the late ‘70s), AND Ra Records’ Malachi Thompson, plus James Stowe on trombone (played on the awesome Carlos Garnett “Cosmos Nucleus”) AND mighty drummer Howard King, who’s on all the early NTU Troop action, but gets a Lifetime Genius Award for appearing on “Lawrence Of Newark”, one of the greatest jazz records of all time, PLUS Black Renaissance “Body, Mind And Spirit” PLUS Charlie Earland “Odyssey”). Which only leaves the killer keyboard chops of Eaves, who BRINGS it even on tracks that are mainly slick fusion. He also played on many funk, disco, and boogie titles, although this is really his only stop as leader, and it’s deeply righteous jazzy soul funky fusion action. Oh yeah.