The Best Of Cookin'

Various Artists, Best Of Cookin’, Ubiquity URCD 063 (2CD, USA), 2000

This slammin' two-CD compilation collects works from the fabulous acid jazz compilations Home Cookin', Mo Cookin', Still Cookin', What's Cookin', and Is That Jazz?. Galactic, Greyboy, DJ Swingset, Sharpshooters and others contribute midlength jams that are a mix of soulful melodies, deep funk grooves, hip-hop beats, and rump-shaking dance music. While jazz has been influential in certain drum & bass circles since the late-'90s, these early-'90s neofusion hybrids serve as logical precursors and illuminate how well the artists on the set also serve the jam-band fans who've crossed over to improvised jazz largely on the strengths of funkateers like Medeski Martin & Wood and others. Even so, the tracks here sound incredibly fresh and fun, mixing live instruments and DJs for a party where everyone is playing spiritedly. At home on the dance floor or in the cocktail lounge, The Best of Cookin' is a fine reminder of the potency of acid jazz and a great introduction for electronic music fans who are interested in seeing a crucial early bridge between the jazz and DJ culture.

CD 1

01. Greyboy - Unwind Your Mind

02. Rhythm Section - Suzanne's Jam

03. Slide Five - Outerspace

04. Vibes Alive - The Spoken Word

05. Ping Pong - Goin' Downhill

06. Galactic - Black Eyed Pea

07. New Legends - Sole Food

08. Ten Bass T - Hip Hop Culture

09. Sharpshooters - Pork Pride Stride

10. Spirit Level - Solar Funk

11. Greyboy Allstars - Jungle Strut

12. Jacko Peake - SFO

13. Mock Quintet - Bolsa de Perrito

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CD2

01. Sweet Potato - Monkey Wrench

02. Slide Five - Streamline

03. Greyboy - Grey's Groove

04. Rhythm Section - Tachyon

05. Vibes Alive - Mantra

06. Ping Pong - Be-Bop Props

07. Sky Juice - Children

08. Rhythm Section - Waiting for the Sun

09. Greyboy - Panacea

10. DJ Swingsett - Peace on the Streets

11. Sweet Potato - Wet Willie

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