When the fourth volume of Guru's Jazzmatazz comes out and finds some market in Europe, EMI senses that that lemon can still be squeezed to release the last bitter drops. The label has already tried it on several occasions in the past, publishing a compilation including the entire first two volumes of the series both in 1996, for the British market, and in 2003, for the European circuit via Cooltempo, encountering lukewarm responses from fans. In 2008, EMI tries again (via Virgin) and this time decides to compact its CD to fifteen tracks that represent the first three chapters of the series, with a coherent tracklist: the first volume boasts six tracks, the second five, the other four.
In addition, for the Japanese edition there are three bonus tracks: "Choices" is a hidden gem of Guru, rap inspired, with N'Dea Daverport singing beautifully and Bobbi Humphrey playing the flute for the hook. The song is part of the soundtrack of the tv-movie "Once in the Life" (2000). The other two bonus tracks are taken by EMI from one of the many forgotten Guru compilations that they tried to market in the mid-nineties without much success, this one in particular was released exclusively for the Japanese market in 1995 under the name "Jazzmatazzmixx": "Loungin' (Jazz Not Jazz Mix)" is originally "Loungin' (Guru Meets The Professors Mix)", but changing its title gives it another aspect. The other remix, a masterpiece by Buckwild, remains with the same title, and the same producer has also used it in one of his best works, "Diggin' in the Crates - Rare Studio Masters: 1993-1997".
Production is performed by Guru most of the time, along with DJ Premier, Carlos Bess, True Master, DJ Scratch, The Neptunes, Erykah Badu, and The Roots. Guests are Ronny Jordan, Dee C. Lee, N'Dea Davenport, Gary Barnacle, Lonnie Liston Smith, Courtney Pine, Donald Byrd, Ramsey Lewis, Chaka Khan, Jamiroquai, Mica Paris, Angie Stone, Kelis, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Bobbi Humphrey and Bahamadia. The track selection performed by EMI is highly questionable. Some of the best pieces are excluded from the first volume, first of all those with Branford Marsalis and MC Solaar. From the chapter of '95, pearls like "Lifesaver", "Living in This World", "Nobody Knows", and the two final songs are inexplicably kept out. The worst comes from one of the weakest chapters of the series, the third: both the French rnb / soul duo Les Nubians and the killer song with Junior Reid and P Sunn are snubbed for whatever reason, favorite to some of the worst songs of the entire series such as those with Kelis and the Roots. "Plenty" leaves something to be desired due to the tasteless production and "Keep Your Worries", in an almost casual way, is the only great choice from that tape.
The end result is deeply uneven and confusing, embittering you and letting you down at the same time. I'd like to say and I could say that the first part at least is strong, because it's composed exclusively of the best solo album of Guru, but it's not so, unfortunately. The opening section is fine, it's good, but it's not strong. "Loungin'" is too far, arrives very late, after twenty minutes. Those ten minutes between "Looking Trhough Darkness" and "Keep Your Worries" are the best moment of the tape, if you don't consider the bonus tracks. The album drops with three scant and mediocre pieces in the following minutes. Then there's "Choices", which deserves a couple of spins, the remix of "Loungin'", which I find inferior to the original, and the remix "Respect the Architect", where Buckwild takes you to a five-minute lesson on how to transform a mediocre, generic track into a fresh and timeless piece of art.
Virgin and EMI have tried again, but again with no commitment, this effort isn't worth your money or time. "Jazzmatazz Volume 1" alone is better in every respect. 6.5/10.
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