Ashby And The Harp

"Dorothy Ashby was an American jazz harpist and composer. Along with Alice Coltrane, Ashby extended the popularization of jazz harp past a novelty, showing how the instrument can be utilized seamlessly as much a bebop instrument as the saxophone. Her albums were of the jazz genre, but often moved into R&B, world and other musics, especially on her 1970 album The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby, where she demonstrates her talents on another instrument, the Japanese koto, successfully integrating it into jazz. Her musical legacy is great; music from her albums has been sampled numerously by hip hop musicians, ensuring her sound is heard often, though she is seldom recognized for her important contributions. Though marginalized by her singular instrument, Ashby is now recognized as a true musician of great skill and creativity.The theatrical production group “The Ashby Players" not only produced black theater in Detroit and Canada but provided early theatrical and acting opportunities for black actors, Ernie Hudson (of Ghostbusters 1 and 2; credited as Earnest L. Hudson) was a featured actor in the Artists Productions version of the play “3-6-9”. In the late 1960s, the Ashbys gave up touring and settled in California where Dorothy broke into the studio recording system as a harpist through the help of the soul singer Bill Withers, who recommended her to Stevie Wonder. As a result, she was called upon for a number of studio sessions playing for such popular recording artists as Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Barry Manilow. Her harp playing is featured in the song "Come Live With Me' which is on the soundtrack for the 1967 movie, Valley of the Dolls" - Wikipedia

music includes:

Dorothy Ashby - The Windmill Of Your Mind

(Dorothy's Harp, 1969)

Dorothy Ashby - The Moving Finger

(The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby, 1970)

unrelated moog

Pierre Alain Dahan & Matt Camison - Velvet Moon

(1974 non-single LP)

Grant Green - We've Only Just Began

(Visions, 1971)

Frank Pourcel - L'ete Indien

(Danse Et Violons no 46, 1975)

,