Verve Remixes Classic Tracks On New CD

Sousa once said that “Jazz will endure as long as people hear it through their feet instead of their brains.” With that in mind, Verve has produced a crossover record called Verve Remixed featuring DJs like De-Phazz, UFO, Thievery Corporation and Tricky doing re-mixed versions of tunes like Ella Fitzgerald’s “Wait ‘Till You See Him,” Sarah Vaughan’s “Summertime,” Astrud Gilberto’s “Who Needs Forever?,” and even Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit.” A straight version featuring these cuts as they were originally recorded, Verve Unmixed, is also available.

From Dixieland to swing to bebop to fusion and beyond, jazz has always been about peeling lackadaisical and apathetic people out of their seats and getting them on the dance floor. By producing this album with twists of electronica, Verve hopes to continue that and at the same time bring jazz to a new audience. Jason Olaine, co-producer of the album and A&R staff person at Verve told Yellow Dog Jazz: “I’m a straightahead jazz lover. But, at the same time, my ears are open to other things. The market is dictating to us that we need to find new ways to sell records [and] personally, I want Jill Scott fans to buy Nina Simone records.” Olaine would also like to see the reverse happen, getting the “traditionalists” turned on to a new groove by having some of the re-mixed songs from the album find their way into rotation on straightahead jazz radio programming.

Verve Remixed track list:

1. Willie Bobo – Spanish Grease (Dorfmeister con Madrid de los Austrias Muga Reserva)

2. Carmen McRae – How Long Has This Been Going On? (MJ Cole)

3. Astrud Gilberto – Who Needs Forever? (Thievery Corporation)

4. Dinah Washington – Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby? (Rae and Christian)

5. Nina Simone – Feelin’ Good (Joe Claussell)

6. Shirley Horn – Return to Paradise (Mark de Clive-Lowe)

7. Ella Fitzgerald – Wait ‘Till You See Him (De-Phazz)

8. Billie Holiday – Don’t Explain (dZihan & Kamien)

9. Nina Simone – See-Line Woman (Masters At Work)

10. Sarah Vaughan – Summertime (UFO)

11. Billie Holiday – Strange Fruit (Tricky)

12. Tony Scott – Hare Krishna (King Britt)

Originally Published May 31, 2002