R.I.P. Yaphet Kotto, 1939-2021

Sadly, actor Yaphet Kotto who played the key role of Lt. Pope in Across 110th Street, has passed away. He'll be greatly missed.  

Previously unheard outtakes from J.J. Johnson soundtrack sessions released

Family Groove's collection Themes and Cues for Movies & Television gathers intriguing snippets recorded by J.J. Johnson back in the 70s. 

Here's the scoop...
Very few composers have a legacy spanning over four decades with as much versatility, vigor and brilliance as J.J. Johnson. The iconic trombonist recorded hundreds of ground-breaking sessions across virtually every sub-genre of jazz – beginning with the Benny Carter and Count Basie's orchestras in the 40s to his early 50s sessions with Charlie Parker & Miles Davis to his legendary late 50s bebop recordings on Columbia, Prestige, Savoy & Blue Note Records, through his hard bop sessions with Stan Getz for Verve into the 1960s. In 1970, Quincy Jones convinced J.J. Johnson to leave New York for Los Angeles. Given his previous accomplishments, it was perhaps inevitable that the trombonist/composter/arranger would be creating memorable audio landscapes for film & television, notably Across 110th Street with Bobby Womack, Trouble Man with Marvin Gaye, Willie Dynamite with Martha Reeves and Cleopatra Jones with Joe Simon.

These recently discovered audition reels focus on the early 1970s era ranging from full orchestral movements to strange and quirky Moog arrangements. Family Groove Records has issued these previously unheard compositions as Themes and Cues for Movies & Television in a limited vinyl edition of 500 copies available here. Listen to a sampling below.

First Take: Bobby Womack

Here's Bobby Womack's original acoustic demo for the brilliant Across 110th Street theme from 1972.

RIP Bobby Womack, 1944-2014