Soul Supreme & Jay Mumford – 9th Wonder /Crown Ones (Soul Supreme Records) 7″

Amsterdam-based keyboardist, producer, arranger and DJ Soul Supreme and NYC drummer Jay Mumford continue their collaboration with a jazz-funk reworking of hip-hop classic. It began with Q-Tip & J-Dilla’s “Let’s Ride” and A Tribe Called Quest’s “Award Tour (We Gettin’ Down)” in 2021 and 2022, respectively; here, the duo explore People Under the Stairs’ “Crown Ones”.

Diehard PUTS fans will recognize Soul Supreme’s catchy Rhodes line as soon as the needle drops, but Jay’s heavy funk groove quickly separates it from the original and takes it from hip-hop cover to heavy funk tune. Soul Supreme’s Rhodes solo pushes it far beyond the confines of instrumental funk as the groove intensifies, while his chops as an arranger are on full display: his horn parts – featuring van der Zwaag, trombonist Olav Schloorlemmer and Job Chajes’ Contra-Alto Clarinet that channels The Headhunters – counter his synth melodies in a discussion that completes the record as a heavy slice of uncut jazz-funk.

The iconic synth intro of “9th Wonder” makes way for Jay’s thunderous ode to a slowed down Clyde Stubblefield groove. Sure to be a favorite with DJs, Jay eventually detours into a syncopated New Orleans funk break, before getting back to the groove for Soul Supreme’s funky wah wah clavinet work. Throughout, the arrangement expands beyond both that of the original and all of its DNA. The addition of cascading horns (featuring a trumpet solo by Lourens van der Zwaag) and a second, more aggressive break from Jay bring it back full circle, completing a modern update of a classic that manages to pay homage to ’70s jazz-funk, breakbeats and ’90s hip-hop – all while staying both modern and raw.