1970 Jazz LP Repressed on 180g Vinyl - Released on the Cadet label in 1970, this album’s wondrous mix of spiritual and funky jazz and unique instrumentation defy categorization. Harpist Ashby adds the koto, a 13-stringed Japanese instrument to her arsenal, and her long-time arranger Richard Evans blends flutes, vibraphone, oboe, kalimba and Ashby’s own vocals into a singular and soul-affirming set.
This Verve By Request title is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Third Man in Detroit.
Dorothy Ashby went down in time as one of Detroit's longstanding greats; predominantly a jazz harpist, she was one of the first and most successful jazz musicians to use the harp as a lead instrument. The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby is her ninth and penultimate album, released in 1970 through Cadet Records. Its adventurous blend of spiritual and funky jazz draws on various cultures and traditions, but was largely inspired by the words of Omar Khayyam, a 12th-century Persian poet and philosopher. Ashby expands her playing repertoire into the Japanese koto, as well as singing on some tracks, producing a sound describable as nothing less than spiritual - this is further tempered by backing flutes, oboes, vibraphones and kalimbas to boot. This one also coincides with a revived interest in the work of Rafiyq, the spoken word artist heard throughout.