Oneness Of Juju: African Rhythms 1970-1982 (Vinyl 3xLP)

Strut present a comprehensive compilation of the seminal Oneness Of Juju, led by Plunky J. Branch.

Tracing their career from the band’s earliest work in 1970 with South African exiled jazzman Ndikho Xaba in San Francisco, the compilation covers the band’s journey to New York’s loft jazz scene, forming Juju and releasing two landmark albums of hard-hitting percussive jazz on Strata-East.

“I saw myself as a cultural warrior,” explains Plunky. “We studied about Africa and tried to infuse our music with an African spirit.” Moving back to his hometown of Richmond, Virginia during the mid-‘70s, Plunky drew in a superb new group of musicians and vocalists and created the band’s new incarnation, Oneness Of Juju, retaining the African influence but fusing his sound with funk and R’n’B on the classic African Rhythms album.

“We realised that, if we put a backbeat to the Afro-Cuban rhythms, people in Richmond and Washington D.C. could be drawn into it; it didn't change anything about our message.” The change would lead to a series of enduring soul-jazz classics on Jimmy Gray’s Black Fire label, including ‘River Luv Rite’, ‘Plastic’ and ‘Don’t Give Up’ and their biggest crossover international hit, ‘Every Way But Loose’ in 1982, later famously remixed by Larry Levan.

The band received renewed interest in their music during the mid-‘80s as Washington D.C.’s go-go innovators cited the band as a major influence and rare groove DJs revived their albums for London dancefloors.

African Rhythms 1970-1982 reprises a compilation released on Strut in 2001 and is newly remastered by Frank Merritt at The Carvery. Includes a 12” sized 4pp booklet featuring rare photos and a comprehensive interview with Plunky Branch within liner notes by Chris Menist.

1. African Rhythms
2. Follow Me
3. Jungle Funk
4. River Luv Rite
5. No Name #3 / Love is... / My N*gg*r & Me
6. Nairobi / Chants
7. Chants / Don't Give Up
8. Be About The Future
9. Got To Be Right On It
10. Space Jungle Funk
11. West Wind
12. Plastic
13. Every Way But Loose
14. Asante Sana
15. Bootsie's Lament
16. The End of the Butterfly King