Bobbi Humphrey's Harlem River Drive

Bobbi Humphrey's "Harlem River Drive" is one of my favorite Blue Note jams of 1970s jazz-funk. Though not written by her, Humphrey's improvisational flute-playing propels this funky cut and the rest of the album, Blacks and Blues. I don't remember who wrote it first, but one critic likened listening to this album as the epitome of a summer night of cruising, perhaps in Harlem? "Harlem River Drive," though "jazz fusion," features smooth, funky drumming and synthesizers and it all comes together through Humphrey's triumphant flute. The background vocals add an additional layer of sound, connecting the album to African-American urban communitites with references to the visible nearby projects. Before concluding, the song becomes more frenetic and the synthezier and piano more pronounced, possibly even playing an ambulance or fire alarm, asserting the song's connections to an urban audience for those those that, though celebratory and begin well, can also take a turn for the worst. A rich source for samples, "Harlem River Drive" and other tracks from the rest of the album have been sampled, rightfully so given the song's funkiness, rich multi-layered sounds, and urban ethos. Listen and thou shalt learn.