In January 2005, David Drumeaux organized the Lakasa Jazz Festival in Guadeloupe, and we can’t thank him enough. The line-up included Richard Bona, Etienne Mbappé, singer Malia and Detroit phenomenon Amp Fiddler. Nothing less. So it was a real treat to dive into Fiddler’s neo-funk/soul on the occasion of the release of his first album as a leader, Waltz of a Ghetto Fly. The album also features a number of musicians who have left their mark on Fiddler’s career: Rafael Saadiq, J Dilla and George Clinton. Still. In Guadeloupe, Amp Fiddler didn’t come alone, bringing along keyboard prodigy James Hurt (who played with Jacques Schwarz-Bart on the 1999 album Dark Grooves). In short, it was a huge evening, with memories intact, and so I’m saddened today by his passing. Digging through my records, I also found Fiddler on the double vinyl Rebirth in 2009, by the fantastic Detroit soul jazz collective Tribe, which I can’t recommend enough.
Waltz of a Ghetto Fly – Amp Fiddler, 2004
