The songwriting reminds me of prog rock due to a series of time changes and chops but at its core this is ‘classic rock’ through and through.
Songs are structured around Beck’s guitar playing and feature some great keys solos and impeccable drumming and bass. Beck’s style is fantastic: technical and precise while still maintaining a groove.
While later tracks like ‘scatterbrain’ kick things into full-on rock, I really like the easy-going, latin-tinged ‘she’s a women’.
Sounds like?
Funky modern jazz trio with rock chops
Moods
Couldn’t get into Snarkypuppy so I saw the vels trio instead
Thoughts
Damn this is a tight group. Add vels trio onto the list of recent good modern jazz releases. Has just the right amount of funky keys and rock chops to keep the songwriting engaging.
This feels like a great release to get a friend into jazz as it’s got enough groove for anyone to hook into.
Thoughts
Not crazy about the title track (though the guitar work is good) but the rest of the album is really good:
* ‘Piece of mind’ is hip and soulful with an easy free-floating vibe.
* ‘Lorans dance’ is a masterpiece and one of my favorite tracks in recent years: cool, nocturnal, soulful.
Moods
Having a good time with some smart ass music
Thoughts
I love Muhammad’s drumming which gives this an incredibly quick backbeat that only a true master can provide. Add in some punchy bass and solos that carry with energy and character, has a 70s grit to it.
The writing is great too, taking pop and turning them into jazz songs (really well done, not just half-baked covers) Sudan is a great piece where I feel the band gels more and feels slightly less arranged. (Admittedly the track I said to myself ok this is a really good album). I don’t want you know more is a greater closer. Bit new Orleans brass with a floating keys line and funky get up and dance drum beat, ends with the right energy.
Allmusic got it right:
But the complete disregard for the political correctness of “Jazz” itself, in order to get the deeply funky and soulful grooves across, is what makes this set so damn special and even spiritual in its inspiration. Jazz purists lost all credibility when they slagged this one off, caught as they were in tainted, even racist views of the past that made no allowances for jazz musicians to actually follow their time-honored tradition of mining the pop music of the day to extend the breadth and reach of jazz itself. Anybody who wants to believe that George Gershwin is somehow more important than George Porter Jr. is already lost in his own cultural fascism. Muhammad, who understands this better than anyone, pulled out all the stops here and blasted out one amazingly tough, funky slab. Brilliant.
What’s it sound like?
Intellectual light radio rock
Thoughts
I’ve begun to appreciate Steely Dan more as I grow older. Their brand of breezy light rock with this lingering darkness appeals to me. They capture life’s disappointments in a distinct way, as if they’re always sitting on the border of being cheesy; like an inside joke at times. Is this Satire?
Humor aside, this is really catchy pop rock with articulate and relatable lyrics. A classic rock staple.
Roy Ayers signature funk jazz constructed with pop/r&b vocalists.
Thoughts
I’m not intimately familiar with his catalog but this veers to the lighter side as an r&b album. I found the singers lacking in personality but roys funk is in full effect. I like the instrumental tracks like green and gold featuring a solo vibraphone.
Dirty like the meters with the great Jimmy McGriff on organ. This recording is particularly rich which makes it a great example of the era. Not a lot of variety but it’s constantly building and unfolding, made especially effective by the use of brass.
