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It’s been a great year for funky music, both recorded and in live shows. Here’s what kept us up at night and pumped during the day. I’m pleased to present a short review of a long list of my top albums of the year. Top Ten Tower of Power triumphantly returns on their 50th anniversary with an album that scintillates in synthesizing all of the great elements that have made them icons over their career- exceptional horn work, great lyrics and vocals, tight instrumental numbers and an overall cohesiveness that makes this the Album of the Year. Check out theContinue Reading

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This review combines my takes on the album and the songs along with insights and comments from my interview with Jordan Linit, co-founder and guitarist conducted on October 24, 2018. Analog Son, a not brand new funk band out of Denver founded by Josh Fairman (bass, also with Sunsquabi) and Jordan Linit (guitar) — just released Funky Mother (buy it here now), their fourth disc but their first on the Color Red group/label.  Of course, Color Red is a brand new hub of high-quality, curated content founded by Eddie Roberts of The New Mastersounds. There’s so much goodness on the disc as everyContinue Reading

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Bokanté’s second album “What Heat” is a musical masterpiece in so many ways. It’s one of those albums that you think “they don’t make them like this anymore” but of course “they” do, if the they are Michael League, Metropole Orkest, or Snarky Puppy.  I officially nominate this album for a Grammy award.  But I’m getting ahead of myself. Before jumping into the full review, let’s set the stage.  This is only the second album for Bokanté, one of several Michael League projects outside Snarky Puppy.  The band is an ensemble of world all-stars creating an eclectic mix of sounds thatContinue Reading

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Chachuba, a four piece jamtronica band out of Chicago, released their new album “Lost the Mountain” September 4th and I was so blown away I just had to write down my thoughts. I have not seen this band live yet but plan to hit 3-5 shows as they come through the Southeast in the coming weeks. First and foremost, the production on this album is immaculate, particularly on the drums. Whether you’re going to listen through headphones or speakers, it is truly a beautiful audio experience trying to catch to each individual layer added to the songs. Whatever team ofContinue Reading

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Soul Side of Town is a retro funk, instant classic.  Tower of Power‘s newest album is a beautiful addition to the group’s legacy.  While it doesn’t break new sonic ground,  ToP have always been ahead of their time and have had a great influence on many young funk bands of today such as Lettuce and Snarky Puppy.  Soul Side of Town hits all the right notes and covers a broad space.  In fact, it’s the group’s first #1 Billboard album in 50 years! The album is quite polished and has elements that draw upon the full group discography, for exampleContinue Reading

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I like everything about this album – from the title Renewable Energy, to the cover art, to the track titles, to the personnel, to the multiple styles of music presented by the tunes, the broad span of skills that New Mastersounds show, and the span of time I hear from end to end.  It’s like the talented foursome from Leeds, England brought the full range of their collective experience together in one disc.  It’s got stuff from the nearly 50 year old Funk 49 cover (featuring Eddie Roberts on lead vox) to the super 21st century Stash that sounds likeContinue Reading

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GoGo Penguin are a powerful jazz-electronica-fusion trio out of Manchester, UK although apparently they don’t care to be pigeon-holed into any genre.  I originally picked up on them looking for bands with a Snarky Puppy-like sound and indeed I could envision a Bill Laurance-Michael League-Robert “Sput” Searight sounding like this.  The band is comprised of pianist Chris Illingworth, bassist Nick Blacka and drummer Rob Turner.  Their multiple layers and tilt towards electronica are also reminiscent of another favorite, Lotus. Some personal favorities off the album are Raven which starts off with an initially haunting piano melody with a superfast backbeat,Continue Reading

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If you have ever seen, wanna see, or wanna hear Snarky Puppy at it’s wild and craziest, funkiest, longest live track ever, then buy this live show and listen to Binky, a 30-minute show within a show.  The second half of the tune featured Shaun Martin’s Go-Go Party in a medley that makes my pulse race for the countdown to the GroundUP Music Festival when that will be one of the first night late nite sets.  The medley rides from We Want the Funk (Parliament-Funkadelic) to Party & Bullshit to Thank You Falletin Me Be Myself  to Shout! and rightContinue Reading

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Bill Laurance’s Live at Union Chapel is Grammy-worthy material.  I’ve procrastinated reviewing this CD/DVD since getting my copy in February simply because it’s been in my car rotation every since and I wanted to do it justice.  It’s a live performance in London accompanied by his Snarky Puppy bandmates Michael League on bass and Robert “Sput” Searight on drums along with Felix Higginbottom on percussion.  A full string section plus French horn round out the team. Overall it is one of the richest sounding live piano/keys albums I’ve ever heard and instantly enters into my list of all-time classics.  The musicianship,Continue Reading