Heavy Axe - David Axelrod (1974)
A lot of “jazz guys” will recognize Axelrod for his production and arranging work, especially with Cannonball Adderley. They aren’t usually so big on the work he did under his own name. But you find a lot of people who aren’t as picky about the puritanical “it’s not really jazz” argument who really love these 70s records he made.
This is a mixed bag of funky tracks, about half covers and half originals. It’s true that he makes Stevie’s Don’t You Worry Bout A Thing sound a bit like elevator-ready muzak. But you can balance that with a pretty aggreesively funky take on Carly Simon’s You’re So Vain that’s a lot of fun.
His own compositions, especially It Ain’t For You and Mucho Chupar are high-grade funk that never stop driving. Axelrod’s music would find a second life with some samples showing up in some famous tracks (though not really from this album).
