This is a fun album! Isn’t that one of the reasons you got into jazz in the first place?
Chris Washburne plays both trombone and tuba here, as he leads a percussive heavy team of Vince Cherico, Oreste Abrantes, Roberto Quintero and Isa Washburne along with a swinging team of John Walsh/tp-fh, Ole Mathisen/sax, Leo Traversa/b, August Washburne/g and Yeissonnn Villamar/p-key through a wild collection of 60s and 70s rock hits that sound like they were made for Cruise Night in Van Nuys.
With brass flying in all directions, songs like Dave Mason’s “Feelin’ Alright” and War’s “Low Rider” sound like the half time band at Grambling College with deep down and dirty grooves. Jimi Hendrix’s “Manic Depression” is a funky latin jig featuring Villamar’s hip piano, and the heavy metal anthem“Stairway To Heaven” includes Mathisen’s alto reaching for the spacey stars. Who would have thought Lou Reed’s “Walk On The Wild Side” or Neil Young’s “Sugar Mountain” could go Afro-Cuban? These guys rip it apart! Then, they take on The Doors’ “Break On Through” and lay down a bluesy groove that is downright sinister. Washburne takes his share of impressive solos all throughout, particularly on the Crosby-Stills-Nash folksy “Ohio” and gives it some well needed testosterone. This is just a gas of a session. More! More! More! Can you do The Carpenters?!?
Zoho Music