Gil Scott Heron & Brian Jackson

The Rare Groove Show

I initially made this short mix for a friend who knew Gil Scott Heron only as a spoken word artist. This version is tweaked a little. I'm a big fan of Gil's work with Brian Jackson and of both as vocalists. Gil's honeyed world weary tones never sound better than with Brian as his foil. Their work with the Midnight Band is some of the most cherished in my record collection- starting with WINTER IN AMERICA on Strata East Records and giving us a succession of mighty albums from the Mid Seventies to early eighties- FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO SOUTH CAROLINA, MIDNIGHT BAND, IT'S YOUR WORLD, BRIDGES, SECRETS and 1980. Jackson's Fender Rhodes playing and arrangements across these releases mean that their work together treads the apex of the jazz/soul crossover. To quote Brian Jackson: 'We loved jazz. But we also loved soul music, funk and R&B. There was always an Isley Brothers or a Stevie Wonder or an Earth Wind and Fire or an Al Green album about to make an appearance on one of our turntables'.
There are days when I'd rather listen to no-one if it's not Gil and Brian and I hope you too enjoy their inspirational music.