I don’t recall where I picked this gem up, but it was about fifteen years ago and I paid under ten dollars for it; I’m cheap. A frugal lifestyle pays off when you’re getting dusty in the crates.
I had no idea who Weldon Irvine was, but I have a soulful connection with certain album art. This is one of those covers that leaped directly into the keep pile the moment I laid eyes on it. I didn’t listen to it for quite a while after buying it though. I go through digging binges. Records are my ice cream on the bad days. After a major binge sometimes a great find just sits there waiting.
Years later at a record show, a friend digging within earshot held up a copy of Cosmic Vortex and said, “Yo, you got this?” I said yes. He shook his head “Wow, I’ve never seen this record anywhere else.” When I got home I dug through my stacks to make sure it hadn’t disappeared in a purge, but the back of my mind was calm. You’d have to rip that album art from my cold, dead fingers.
I found it and put it on while sleeving my new digs. None of it sounded familiar. I honestly wasn’t sure I’d ever actually listened to it. How?
The intro track, “Love Your Brother,” is miles away from the space jazz I expected. It’s funky with a soul-jazz undercurrent that sets the tone beautifully. The second track, “Walk That Walk, Talk That Talk,” opens with bass and Rhodes (my two favorites) before the drums strike in and bounce along for another groove-heavy ride. How did I sleep on this?
The entire album maintains a funk-first momentum, with just enough soul and jazz living in the shadows that you can get up and dance or sip a whiskey neat. You’ll be completely content doing either. Another must-have in my book.