The words “Soul” and “Funk” are very slippery in their connotations. Is Horace Silver funky? How about Bootsy Randolph? Here are two bands that give divergent feels of what we may call the “soul groove”.
Keyboardist/producer Jesse Fischer works with a team of Brian Hogans/as-fl, Jean Caze/tp-fh, Corey King/tb, David Linaburg/g, Solomon Dorsey/b, Shawn Banks/perc an dGabriel Wallace/dr. Vocalist Rachel Eckroth delivers a take of “Aquarius” that sounds ironic during this recent Arab Winter. The funky beat of “Digita Savanna” and funky “Tanqueray & Tonic” get a bit heavy on the beat, and the horns get a bit bright at times, but this music is made for parties, and not mulling over.
Meanwhile the quintet of Richard Underhill/as-v, Perry White/ts-bs/v, Kelly Jefferson/ts-v, George Koller/b-v and Stich Wynston/dr-v try to mix the funky feel of a New Orleans Second Line (without piano) with the hep jazz feel of Louis Jordan’s Tympany 5. It works surprisingly well, with lots of musical and vocal jive jumping around songs like “Strollin’” and “Daddy Long Legs.” Jive talk is all over the place, particularly on “All About The Hang,” but this disc wouldn’t work if these cats couldn’t play, and they navigate around the bass like they’re putting on a Zoot Suit. The slick lick of “Sell Me This” or the riffing on “Way After Midnight” serves as spring boards for some hot soloing. Check these gents out.
ObliqSound Records
True North Records