Axelrod, David: Heavy Axe (180g/reissue) LP

For the dusty-fingered deep diggers who have a sixth sense for sample-worthy sounds and unique headnodders, the name David Axelrod is gospel. An arranger with A-list credits a mile long, Axelrod had carte blanche to do what he wanted on his own solo releases, and after calling a gaggle of his high-profile studio mates (including Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Cannonball Adderley and George Duke) he turned his 1974 release Heavy Axe into a referendum on the jazz-rock sound of the era. Funky covers of "You're So Vain" and "Don't You Worry ‘Bout A Thing" give way to the porn-funk of "Mucho Chupar" and the moody, moogy "Everything Counts," all anchored with the full, round low end and majestic orchestral flourishes that has made Axelrod a favorite with hip hop beat makers from the ‘90s til today. 180g vinyl LP reissue from Craft Recordings cut from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray, pressed at RTI and packaged in a tip-on jacket.