Recorded - March 12, 1968
Released - May 1968
#1 for weeks of July 20 and 27, 1968.
For far too long on this blog, trumpet-based jazz music has been way too gentle and passive. Even as a trumpet player, I have been quite disappointed with the abundance of easy listening jazz tunes, with little to no trumpet virtuosity. Well, it's time for Hugh Masekela to kick down those mellow doors.
Hugh was born in South Africa, and spent his childhood and teens in a country that would be pulled apart by apartheid. Unable to take the hatred and violence anymore, he left the country in 1960 and moved to the United States. Going from a country that had just begun segregation to a country that was on the cusp of abolishing it, was surely a breath of fresh air.
Hugh Masekela also had the fortune of playing at the Monterrey Pop Festival in 1967. This no doubt helped him become accepted into hipper music circles, and it also no doubt played a bit part in helping his version of Philemon Hou's "Grazing In The Grass" reach #1 on the pop charts in 1968.
"Grazing In The Grass" appeals to me just for how "Personal" is sounds. There is no dated instrumentation or schmaltzy orchestra. Just a simple six man band, and some cowbell added for good measure. It reminds me of the days of playing in a school jazz band with your friends. Hugh, of course, takes center stage with his crisp trumpet playing. Much of the song features numerous repeats of the main melody, although there is a solo section during the middle where Hugh has a chance to let his trumpet chops shine.
While Hugh Masekela's version of "Grazing In The Grass" reached #1 in the summer of '68, there was another version of the song recorded towards the end of the year, by The Friends Of Distinction. Their version is more of a funk/soul workout with rather dated hippie lingo lyrics. Yet it also contains an incredibly catchy "I can dig it, she can dig it..." vocal line. Still, I'd rank Hugh's version as the best one, for the sole reason that I'll take trumpet based jazz over proto-disco any day.
Final Verdict - Hugh Masekela's "Grazing In The Grass" strikes all the right notes for me. It is a refreshingly simple jazz number, with a catchy melody, and some supreme trumpet playing. If you're a fan of jazz music, you'll certainly want to hear this song. Even if you're not, I'd still recommend giving it a listen.
Coming Up Next - "Hello, I Love You" by The Doors.
Until Next Time, I'm Dr. Rock and I toot my own horn. -
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