Question & Freddie Joachim have prepared a collection of tracks on Study Guide that speak to the listener about the history of jazz and the influence it has on different music genres. It picks up where DJ Greyboy’s Freestylin’ left off over a decade ago building smooth hip-hop sounds against a melody of live jazzy instruments. And, it’s old meets new with guitar riffs and piano solos that sound like Wes Montgomery and McCoy Tyner versus the modern beatmaker. It is where you want to be when the night slows down and your cocktail is an arm length away.
These two producers got together to share their love of jazz and hip-hop sound and it shows in the cohesiveness of their work. Each of these tracks bounce with beats and use an underlying improv to carry you from start to finish. It’s reads like a Mushroom Jazz compilation that has all the same bells and whistles but with a stepped down approach. The sounds work well in the foreground as well as the background which helps to explain how their tracks have ended up in a number of visual works. They are groovy, not over powering, head-nodding, but not distractive, mellow, but not sleepy. Just simply good.
Tracklisting:
01. Autumn (Question)
02. A Maze (Freddie Joachim)
03. Earl Grey (Question)
04. Calm (Freddie Joachim)
05. Conte (Question)
06. Cool Down (Freddie Joachim)
07. Deedsy (Question)
08. Foolish (Freddie Joachim)
09. Sun Light (Question)
10. Shoulder Kiss (Freddie Joachim)
11. Rainy Day (Question)
12. Virgo (Freddie Joachim)
13. Spiked Punch (Question)
14. The Jade (Freddie Joachim)
15. Thanks Chuck (Question)
16. My Breakdown Lady (Freddie Joachim)
17. Sun Kiss (Freddie Joachim)
