from the LP One, CTI Records, 1974Sampled in over 30 different hip-hop tracks, this sublime number from jazz keyboardist Bob James well deserves the attention that it’s received over the years, unfolding in perfect fluidity like the spirals found within the shell from which this song gets its name. A progenitor of the “smooth jazz” scene, James actually loved the avant-garde as well and was always known for using tape loops & electronic experimentation before things like that became popular or acceptable. This shit is the jam people, subtly creepy & eerie feeling but deeply ensconced in the groove---to be honest, it almost evokes images of Scooby Doo & the gang investigating some haunted house, ghosts flying about while they bail to the phatty van, day-glo bell bottoms leading the way.
