Reggie Andrews (January 2, 1948 – June 23, 2022) – Yolon (1977)

The jazz-funk educator who mentored countless musicians in South Central L.A. wrote this beautiful jam for his former student Patrice Rushen's third LP.

View most updated version of this post on Substack

Search our full archives

Reggie Andrews was a Los Angeles-based keyboardist and songwriter best known for producing and co-writing the Dazz Band’s 1982 classic “Let It Whip.” But he was also a longtime music educator who taught in the South Central L.A. public school system and mentored numerous young musicians, including Patrice Rushen, Ndugu Chancler, Gerald Albright, Stephen Lee Bruner aka Thundercat, and the members of the legendary 90s hip hop group the Pharcyde.

Born and raised in the Watts section of Los Angeles, J. Reginald Andrews grew up in a musical family, learning to play piano from his mother and older sister. He organized his junior high school’s first jazz combo when he was twelve years old. From a young age he knew he wanted to both teach music and work as a musician. After graduating from high school and studying music education at Pepperdine College, he was hired to create an after-school jazz ensemble at Locke Senior High School, where he would end up teaching for the next several decades.

For a further deep dive on Andrews’ musical and educational legacy, see the excellent Reggie Andrews episode of the Lost Notes podcast (with transcript) that aired earlier this month on Santa Monica’s public radio station KCRW.

Around 1970 Andrews was invited to join Willie Bobo and the Bo-Gents, a Latin jazz-funk group put together by percussionist and recent L.A. transplant Willie Bobo. He played electric piano on and wrote three songs for their 1971 debut album, the boogaloo-flavored jam “Broasted Or Fried,” the laid back, funky closing cut “Never You Mind,” and its stellar title track “Do What You Want To Do.”

In the mid-seventies, Andrews founded the jazz-funk supergroup Karma, who released two albums on A&M Records. He arranged and co-produced (with trombonist George Bohanon) their debut LP Celebration (1976). It featured the funky opening cut “Funk De Mambo (Dance To The Music),” which was released as an extended, 10-minute disco single containing Parts I and II.

The group’s other members were Ernie Watts on tenor and soprano sax, Oscar Brashear on trumpet, bassist Curtis Robertson, Jr., Josef Blocker on drums, and percussionist Vander “Stars” Lockett. Backing vocalists on Celebration included Syreeta Wright and Deniece Williams. Another highlight was Karma’s funky self-titled theme song, which Andrews co-wrote with Blocker, Robertson, and Lockett.

Andrews kept teaching even as his own musical career took off. One of his first students to become a recording artist herself was the great Patrice Rushen. Andrews co-produced her third studio album Shout It Out (1977), and wrote the LP’s phenomenal instrumental “Yolon.”

Rest in Power, Reggie Andrews.

Further info:

“Reggie Andrews, In His Own Words,” by Eric Ducker, Medium, June 29, 2022.

“Reggie Andrews, Songwriter and Music Educator, Dead at 74,” obituary, Billboard, July 7, 2022.

“Do What You Want To Do: The Legacy of Reggie Andrews,” Lost Notes podcast, hosted by Novena Carmel and Michael Barnes, KCRW, June 5, 2024.

#soul #funk #WillieBobo #Karma #PatriceRushen #DazzBand #ReggieAndrews