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1972 · Album

Dig This!

↑ Bobbi Humphrey

Recorded 1972 · Blue Note
Dig This!

The Flute Meets Funk: Bobbi Humphrey's Soul Turn

Humphrey's flute floats over grooves that feel lived-in, not laboratory-built—the sound of jazz meeting real dancers.

What makes Dig This! distinctive isn't Humphrey's flute alone, though her tone is warm and direct. It's the rhythm section's commitment to staying grounded. By 1972, fusion was pulling jazz toward electric abstraction, but this album stays rooted in soul and funk grooves that breathe. Humphrey's flute weaves through pocket-deep bass lines and drums that lock in tight, refusing to chase complexity for its own sake. The album sounds like it's meant to move bodies, not just minds. It's early in Humphrey's career, and you can hear her finding her voice—not as a classically trained technician proving her worth on an unconventional instrument, but as a musician comfortable in her own groove. The flute lines sit back sometimes, let the band breathe, let the funk live. That restraint is harder than it looks, especially for a soloist on an instrument that rewards showiness. Here, Humphrey resists that pull. The sessions feel tight and economical, with space for each element to register. Dig This! sits apart from much of what else was happening in jazz at the time—it's neither avant-garde nor smooth, just honest funk-inflected playing that trusted the listener to follow without explanation.

Who's playing
Listen next
By Bobbi Humphrey
Fancy Dancer 1975
More Jazz Fusion
Romantic Warrior 1976
Return to Forever
Recording Info
Track listing
1Lonely Town, Lonely Street4:32
2Is This All3:41
3Smiling Faces Sometimes6:18
4Virtue4:26
5I Love Every Little Thing About You4:17
6Love Theme From "Fuzz"3:45
7El Mundo De Maravillas (A World Of Beauty)7:28
8Nubian Lady4:44
Musicians
Further Reading
Read more

Where next?

More by Bobbi Humphrey
Fancy Dancer 1975
Flute-In 1972
Satin Doll 1974
Freestyle 1978
All 9 albums →
More Jazz Fusion
Romantic Warrior 1976
Return to Forever
Romantic Warrior 1976
Chick Corea
Pat Metheny Group 1977
Pat Metheny
8:30 1979
Weather Report
All 134 Jazz Fusion artists →

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