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In: Aisle 5, Album of the Week, ALBUMS, BLOG POSTS, VENUES

The Polyrhythmics have put out an outstanding album with Life From Below. Each tune is distinctive in its color and theme while still recognizable as a Polyrhythmics song. The group has become a personal favorite over the last few years, based on their dynamic live sets and consistently high-quality studio releases. As usual, there is a prominent role for the stellar horn section and the album is peppered with tight riffs and several spectacular solo sojourns, which I’ll cover in detail. The dazzling guitar-bass-drum of Ben Bloom, Jason Gray, and Grant Schroff alway keep the energy at a high level.Continue Reading

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Guitarist/composer Joe Marcinek consistently pumps out great “theme” albums with teams of big-name and emerging musicians. Four of his previous albums were reviewed here (JMB4, JMB5, Dead Funk Summit, 1 River Street) and each is unique in its theme and sound. “The Groove Session” is an outstanding funk album from end to end. One of the terrific aspects of this collection is that Joe demonstrates his skills as a guitarist within the overall ensemble that he put together. His compositions allow the others to shine, and the songs are balanced to showcase the entire team’s talent. As the liner notes say,Continue Reading

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The New Mastersounds (NMS) have been consistently pumping out great music and super groovy vibes for 25 years and their latest release “Old School” is a testament to their legacy. NMS are an all-time favorite of mine — their retro-soul-funk in the tradition of The Meters is timeless but always evolving. Over the years they’ve had songs and albums with vocalists such as Corinne Bailey Rae and Lamar Williams, Jr.  They’ve also had many tunes supplemented with horns for added oomph. But there’s nothing quite like the core four on the floor of Eddie Roberts on guitar, Pete Shand onContinue Reading