NEW RELEASES: U-NAM – SURFACE LEVEL; MAGIC IN THREES – IV; TACOSAN – CHIROPRACTIC FUNK

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