Damn, Chicago.

Bobbi Humphrey ‎– Chicago, Damn
Blue Note ‎– BN-XW395-W
Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, US, 1973
info

I think I've mentioned this before, but there aren't really enough quality flute-led funk songs in my life.

Here's a favorite by flautist Bobbi Humphrey, served up on a 45 from Blue Note in 1973 in the midst of their soul jazz years. You can usually sign me up for the extended, 8 minute plus disco mix of a song I love, but I do really enjoy the shortened single edits of these two tracks from Humphrey's excellent Blacks And Blues LP. Each has been chopped to less than half the length of their full album version, but, especially on the A side, it really does highlight the song's funk strengths.

Chicago, Damn is a classic in my book (and not just because it has one of the greatest song titles of all time). The song is written and produced by the great Larry Mizell and I'm pretty sure it features his brother Fonce on the Clavinet. Great synth and percussion, but of course Ms. Humphrey's flute solo is the star of the show. Three minutes and twenty-five seconds of high class jazz funk about life in the Windy City.

Just A Love Child on the flip is nice too, but can't match the genius of the lead attraction. For some reason, the B side had some crackles throughout that I couldn't wash away (or sink in the hours to digitally remove). I cleaned up the worst bits, but it left a few quiet parts of the song sounding like the Mizell brothers might have been frying bacon in the back of the recording studio. Thankfully, the same problem didn't impact side one. Enjoy!

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Tracklist

A Chicago, Damn

B Just A Love Child

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Rapping in the park way past dark in FLAC (download zip file):

https://mega.nz/file/5HpQlCRC#diasagBZSq134PswTaPFN8W0YqxBq-iBcdfOM1oKQX4

Can’t hear the preacher man in MP3 (stream or download):

https://mega.nz/folder/1D5V1apa#g8tyzxGdRNHkxoRiFPe6Bw