We’re finally digging into “Voodoo” - D’Angelo’s Grammy-winning album that changed the sound of R&B, soul, and hip-hop forever. And the album a young Adam Maness had on repeat, seriously influencing his playing as well as countless musicians since.
With Questlove’s “Dilla-drag” drumming, Pino Palladino’s funky bass lines, Roy Hargrove’s jazzy horn arrangements, and Charlie Hunter’s chicken-picking guitar, Voodoo is packed with the kind of cross-genre musicality that makes jazz musicians lose their minds.
Twenty-five years later, Voodoo still grooves harder, hits deeper, and sounds more human than many albums of its generation.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- What makes D’Angelo’s groove so unique (and hard to imitate)
- Isolated tracks, rare demos, and interviews with the artists
- How “Spanish Joint” came together in a single take
- Whether “Feel Like Makin’ Love” tops the Roberta Flack original
- And whether “Voodoo” is even an R&B album at all
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