11/19/2005 07:11:00 PM|W|P|Danny Eagle|W|P| Hearing the original that your favorite song sampled is like meeting the parents of someone you like. You already sort of know Mr. and Mrs., and with one look they show you where Joe got his bushy eyebrows and where Jane got her toothy smile. They explain a lot; they complete the picture. David Axelrod, a producer most famous for his time at Capitol Records in the late 60s, has under his belt many such songs; super juicy originals and instrumentals that you've probably heard in the bits and pieces of De La Soul, Diamond D, and Mos Def. He probably wouldn't define his career in relation to those who borrowed from it. He might list his achievements as having started the first division of black music at Capitol Records, producing tracks from Lou Rawls and Cannonball Adderley in addition to his own solo releases, 13 in total. He was among the first to put funk and jazz records into stores nationwide and onto the charts, pushing them permanently into American culture. This Axelrod retrospective is mellow, deep and smooth, mainly instrumental with familiar hip-hop break beats. Only midway through it you can't help to marvel at how many iconic hip-hop producers snatched up his music. Aside from the instant bond it creates with hip-hop heads, it's a bit sad and introspective and, at times, almost hollow sounding. It's big stuff, the kind of music that might make you kick back and think hard; the man put out an enviro-conscious album in 1970 called "Earth Rot", what did you expect? It is, however, also mellow enough to put on and do anything but think. His songs are spiritually large, filled with mood and atmosphere. As they build you might hear a familiar loop or sample, perfectly placed in its original context. It's vibe music, and while taking it all in you'll be reminded of how relevant it still is when you hear that brilliant loop you thought DJ Shadow came up with himself.|W|P|113245639469202454|W|P|David Axelrod | The Edge|W|P|scottlmoe@gmail.com