Sly 5th Ave – “The Invisible Man: An Orchestral Tribute to Dr Dre” – [Tru Thoughts]

aarbor   8/24/2022   CD, Soul

Sylvester Onyejiaka is Sly 5th Ave. He’s from Austin, TX, a multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger, session musician and this release is what put him on the map. He toured a a session musician for Prince in his 20’s, and “had the privilege of directing Bernie Worrell before he passed. The last thing Worrell said to Sly after the show was “Beautiful, you’ve got it man. Now… it’s on you.” Essentially he made orchestral arrangements of Dr. Dre’s work. I hear a bit of Herbie Hancock, a bit of Funkadelic, some beats, some jazz. It’s orchestral hip hop. I have to mention that it’s on the Tru Thoughts label which is always a plus for me. The album is dedicated to all the marginalized people in America. AArbor