[I’ll Give You a Break is a sporadic series of posts highlighting obscure (and not so obscure) breakbeats in unlikely places, so that they may be sampled by producers or just enjoyed for their own geeky purposes. NB: Don’t forget to clear all samples through the proper channels (cough).]

Jazz saxophonist Joe Henderson’s “Earth” features the awesome Alice Coltrane on harp and tambura, Charlie Haden on bass, Leon “Ndugu” Chancler on drums, Baba Duru Oshun on tabla, Kenneth Nash on percussion and narration, and Michael White on violin. On this 13-minute opus from Henderson’s 1973 album, The Elements, they created one of the deepest, most cosmic grooves ever manifested. The huge segment from 0:55-4:40 couldn’t be a more generous gift to high-minded producers looking for a laid-back funk rhythm, which is then sacralized by Coltrane’s sweetly stinging tambura drones and the leader’s coolly melismatic sax, and buttressed by Haden’s staunch “bo-bo, bobobo bo” bass motif.

“Earth” is one of the greatest tracks ever and an untapped gold mine of sampling fodder.