Download or Listen to Dick Hyman and the Group – Respect from the Command Records 45

Well, it’s Monday Morning and I figured I’d throw in a short post. I apologize for not getting in to too much depth, but I had a long, long weekend, and a funky cover will have to do. I can remember initially hearing about Dick Hyman through the Beastie Boys off of Ill Communication: “I’m Electric Like Dick Hyman, I Guess You’d Expect To Catch The Crew Rhymin’ “. Now if he was good enough for the Beasties ( I was, and still am a huge fan ), it was good enough for me. Here we are some almost 20 years later, and I have this little piece of goodness. Here’s Dick Hyman and the Group with “Respect” on Command Records.

Born in 1927 in New York, NY, Hyman is an all around virtuoso of Jazz piano. He has played as artist, composer, arranger and conductor throughout his long career in Jazz. Whether it was live compositions, orchestral pieces, film scores and beyond, Hyman has done it. He was one of the first people to record on the Moog synthesizer, so you can see why the Beasties and other diggers like me are so interested in his funky sides. Most likely this kind of thing was really not appreciated or approved of by his Jazz peers (kind of like Miles switching to weird Rock stuff a la On the Corner, but not at that large of a scale). Hyman was a notable sideman, and longtime leader of such programs as Jazz in July series at New York’s 92nd Street Y, and he annual Oregon Festival of American Music. As mentioned before, he did film scores, many for Woody Allen films, and was a leader at the Hollywood Bowl for a show called The Movie Music of Woody Allen. The man is so versatile he can go from movie scores to ballet performance music, to Jazz Combo to orchestra pieces and back. With over 100 recors under his belt, the guy is a giant. That being said, you know he had some respect for the Funk. It may have just been an experiment by Hyman on a new instrument, but for diggers like myself, it’s pay dirt. I’m not saying everything Hyman does is funky by any stretch of the imagination. I have to pick and choose my battles here. However, his cover of Otis Redding’s “Respect” is a keeper. The piano dueling with the organ is fuel enough, but let’s not forget the big drum break, a huge plus. Funky….yeah! Enjoy this piano genius take on some Soul. Keep Diggin’!

**This side was included on FMF Vol. 33, Down Home Soul