A totally
wonderful jazz ensemble from Japan – one who definitely work in some of the
older modes you'd guess from the "legacy" in their name, especially
the hippest funky big band styles of the 70s – yet a group who also have a very
fresh, individual vibe of their own! These are all musicians who've been
through the past decade and more of Japanese club jazz – more rhythmic uses of
the form, crossed over to the funk and soul crowd – yet they're also taking
things back towards a more complicated, tonally rich version of a larger group
like this – with sublime sounds that emerge from the reeds and brass players,
over rhythms that can still be a bit funky when they want! There's a slight bit
of electricity in the lineup – a bit of organ and electric piano, plus some
guitar – next to the warmer sounds on horns – and in addition to versions of
Weldon Irvine's "Turkish Bath" and Al Green's "Let's Stay
Together", the group also contribute their own original material on the
titles "African Water", "Reborn", "The Spirit",
"Night Flight", and "Come With Me". ~ Dusty Groove
KENNY RICE –
HOUSE PARTY
In case
you're wondering, they DO still make 'em like they used to – at least when it
comes to classic-styled soul records, like this St Louis effort from Kenny
Rice! Kenny comes from a world that might be more blues than soul, but there's
definitely a lot of southern soul styles at play on this set – from Kenny's
great vocal leads, right down to the sweet combo backing, which even includes
some organ and saxes from St Louis legend Oliver Sain! About half the album's
got more of a blues vibe than a soul one – but even those sounds are recorded
at a level that's more like you'd hear from a 70s indie than a contemporary
label – and Rice's own drums help kick lots of the tunes into headier soul
territory, and create this wider-ranging vibe that certainly lives up to the
house party spirit promised on the cover. Titles include "I Wanna Satisfy
You Baby", "Big Blue", "Back Street", "Pink
Champagne", "Honky Tonk", "I'm Tore Up", "Oh Yes
It's You", and "Hard Working Man" – plus a very cool take on
Horace Silver's "Liberated Brother". ~ Dusty Groove
BENNY LACKER
TRIO - SISKIYOU
Pianist
Benny Lackner hits a groove here that's really unique – funky, but not jazz
funk at all – and instead kind of a spacious, flowing sound on his keyboard
that carves out its own special feel through careful timing and well-defined
sense of attack! The drums and bass in the group certainly help lay out the
sound – especially the bass, which is played with equally spacious tones by
Jerome Regard – but Lackner's keyboard work is what really drives the record –
these beautifully blocky passages, even when single notes are in play, not
chords – which makes for a wonderfully soulful sound throughout, even when
Benny moves over to a bit of Wurlitzer or Musser Ampli-Celesta. Titles include
great remakes of Bowie's "Cygnet Committee" and Rodriguez'
"Sugar Man" – plus "The 4th Member", "Song For
Lucia", "The Garden", and "Name Dropper". ~ Dusty
Groove
No comments:
Post a Comment