U-NAM –
SURFACE LEVEL
The grooves
here go way past the surface level – mighty deep overall, and served up in that
fantastic mix of jazzy fusion and club that we love so much from U-Nam! The
guitarist just seems to get better and better with each new recording – mixing
a 70s style of George Benson soloing with well-crafted rhythms that are never
too over the top, and which never force the groove so much that U-Nam can't
find space to do his own thing! The style's almost like an instrumental version
of Incognito, although with more of a jazzy solo instrumental vibe – and titles
include "Back In Style", "Mary Jane", "Groove
Paradise", "Going For Miles", "Surface Level", and
West Indeed". ~ Dusty Groove
MAGIC IN
THREES – IV
Magic In
Threes is actually a quintet, and the album's numbered four – but don't let
these digits confuse you, because the sound is nicely straight ahead – and a
really fresh approach to instrumental funk! These guys have a laidback groove
that almost reminds us of 70s soundtrack modes, but never tries at all to copy
their style – and instead finds a unique space that's very different from so
many of the other funky combos working today, and which hardly belies the
Tennessee roots of the group! The music has this great sense of space between
the rhythms – things are never too fast or too forced, but always funky
throughout – served up with a shifting array of instrumentation that includes
Fender Rhodes, organ, and other keyboards – plus guitar, flute, sax, and
trumpet. Titles include "Vida Lago", "Sunshine", "Up
In The Market", "Cinema Six Eight", "Cashin Out",
"Beautiful Starship", "For The Champ", "60s
Spring", and "Ringworld". (Includes download!) ~ Dusty Groove
TACOSAN –
CHIROPRACTIC FUNK
The title
may seem a bit strange, but the grooves on this set are so heavy, you might
find yourself heading for the chiropractor after your first listen to the
record! Tacosan takes strong inspiration from the James Brown band of the late
60s – with all the bumps, grinds, and funky jumps you might imagine – but his
music also adds in some fuzzy guitar at times, too – a bit like the
contribution that the young Dave Matthews made to JB on the Sho Is Funky Down
here album – all of which makes for a super-heavy approach to deep funk!
Tacosan sings in Japanese throughout – but his group grooves in an
international way, with lots of southern funk currents next to the garagey
guitar – all of which makes for a pretty unique blend of sounds. All song
titles are in Japanese – save for one, which is enigmatically titled "Hard
Boiled Egg". ~ Dusty Groove
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