David Axelrod- You gots to chill

If there's one thing that's guaranteed to chill out your cranky ass, it's got to be The Edge - David Axelrod at Capitol Records 1966-1970 (Capitol Jazz). This just-released collection nicely covers just what it says in the title. The wonderfully mellow groove would later find homes with De La Soul and DJ Shadow (who went as far to reissue some Axelrod product himself), jutting you out of your blissful reverie to say "Oh yeah, I remember hearing that from..." Usually, this kind of music is empty-headed background mush but producer Axelrod took enough care with it to make it endlessly lush and attractive, injecting nice little drum patterns that hip hop would savor. Crazy as it sounds, he reminds me sometimes of Gil Evans' similar cross-genre experiments. Even when Lou Rawls stops by to sing a Blood, Sweat and Tears hit, you're already so relaxed, that you don't care. That in itself is a major feat worth noting. Recommended for migranes, endless days and times you need to unwind after arguments with your spouse or boss.