If you’re one of those people who consider yourself worth your weight in jazz/funk history, or consider yourself an aficionado of the genre in the least, you may have heard of Don Blackman — one of the hardest-working men in soul music history, alongside giants like James Brown and George Clinton. He grew up next to legendary jazz saxophonist Charles McPherson in Queens, who in turn introduced an impressionable young Blackman to Charles Mingus — and the rest was pretty much history, with the lad becoming so well-renowned for his songwriting and pianist skills he eventually hooked up with other revered artists like Earth, Wind, and Fire and Roy Ayers. Oh, and getting back to Clinton and P-Funk: yep, he was jamming with them when he was only in his early 20s. All this hard work and lifelong toiling eventually led to some steady work as a session musician for the likes of Sting (Brand New Day), Janet Jackson (“That’s the Way Love Goes”), and Jay-Z (for his work on Mister Bleek’s album). And speaking of the Hook-Up, Don Blackman eventually connected with Master P for his album of the same name. You can hear him reminisce now on Red Bull Music Academy Radio.
