A Choice Cuts presentation...
The Head Hunters (original line-up)
Saturday 24th February
The Sugar Club
Lr. Leeson St.
Dublin 2
Doors 7.30pm
Admission 20euro
www.tickets.ie www.ticketmaster.ie
and selected outlets - all city, big brother, city discs,road & sound cellar

'Exclusive Irish performance from 1970's jazz, funk, Caribbean and afro legends'

With their Albums still selling buy the 1000's on i-tunes and on reissued vinyl and cd's, The Head Hunters should need no introduction. For those that need to be reminded of this ensembles pedigree, please read on.

The Headhunters represented a major turning point for Herbie Hancock, whose approach to fusion became slicker and more commercial (though not without substance or integrity) with the formation of this popular band in 1973. Before that, the chameleonic pianist/keyboardist had been leading a daring unit called the Sextant, which fused jazz, R&B and rock with world music and took more than its share of chances. But regrettably, the Sextant's three albums for Warner Bros. were modest sellers at best, so in 1973, he disbanded the Sextant and formed the Headhunters. Employing saxman/clarinetist Bennie Maupin (a holdover from the Sextant), bassist Paul Jackson, Jr., drummer Harvey Mason and percussionist Bill Summers, Hancock made a point of being more accessible when he unveiled the Headhunters with his 1973 Columbia date Head Hunters.

Fusing jazz with funk and rock, the album sold over a million copies and attracted many R&B and rock fans. In fact, Head Hunters even outsold Miles Davis' popular Bitches Brew. Defined by the catchy "Chameleon" (which was interpreted by jazz singer Eddie Jefferson in 1976 and sampled by various rappers in the 1980s and 1990s) and a funky remake of his 1962 boogaloo "Watermelon Man," Headhunters set the tone for subsequent Columbia projects with the Headhunters, including Thrust (1974), Man-Child (1975), Secrets (1976) and Sunlight (1977). By the end of the decade, the Headhunters were no more, and Hancock was turning his attention to everything from outright R&B to standards and acoustic post-bop. In the 1990s, Sony's Legacy label reissued most of the Headhunters' work on CD, and in 1998 the group reunited to record Return of the Headhunters!

Cited along with Parliament and James Brown as being the main influences on funk music and modern day hip hop music The Headhunters still sell LPs from 30years ago to this day. While some may think of the band as more pop fusion, they have now been cited for having a huge influence and impression on the jazz canon. This is ever present in the rave reviews their live shows have been commanding, as they are highly regarded for their amazing solo's, chord progressions and improvisation. This is a very special gig for jazz fans, soul & funk fans and even the beat-diggers that like to check out samples. The Head Hunters play The Sugar Club on Saturday 24th February.

The Head Hunters have been sampled by Nas, Mobb Deep, Kool G Rap, Cut Chemist, Bomb The Bass and many more

Press Release issued by: Hugh Kirwan
click the following link for music, photos, biog and more.
http://www.choicecutsonline.com/upcoming/event-details.php?id=176
contact - hugh@choicecutsonline.com