Jazz Articles about DJ Spooky

DJ Spooky: Optometry

by Glenn Astarita
August 1, 2002

Thirsty Ear’s Blue Series surges onward in a futuristic mode with this latest installment, featuring turntable guru DJ Spooky’s melding of EFX, rap, funk, free jazz and more. Drummer Billy Martin of Medeski, Martin & Wood notoriety chips in, along with an artist known as “Priest” and a conglomerate of New York City based modern jazz heroes.

We get to hear the great improvising saxophonist Joe McPhee blowing soulful lines atop pulsating rhythms and pianist Matthew Shipp’s ...

DJ Spooky: Optometry

by Mark Corroto
July 8, 2002

The integration of DJ culture into jazz was inevitable. But then, Jazz has always adopted popular forms of music. For instance, it took on rock in the 1960s with much debatable results. There is good fusion and bad fusion, as with all forms of jazz it comes down to creative ideas and musicianship. As jazz and hip-hop have attempted mergers in the past, the results have been either a sore thumb approach (the DJ stands out without integrating) or the ...