a new take on the jazz-rap mix

Once in a Blue Moon (eastWest)

F Mob

By Mark Clark

Ever since rap emerged as a marketable genre in the mid-1980s, artists have attempted to fuse it with jazz.

There have been noble failures (Miles Davis' Doo Bop) and cheap swipes (anything by D.J. Jazzy Jeff). But seldom have the two genres been melded as seamlessly as they have on Once in a Blue Moon, the new disc from F Mob.

The trick, this duo has discovered, is not to try and graft jazz instruments onto aggressive rap beats. Instead, F Mob combines relatively placid rap rhythms with upbeat be-bop. The result is a light, catchy sound perfect for summer.

Whip up some margaritas, crash on the chaise lounge and pop this in your jam box. It's fun stuff.

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