Really great stuff from bassist Matt Ulery – a player with an imagination as rich as his sound, and an artist who's really becoming a force on the scene here in Chicago! Matt works here in that mix of arrangements and freedom used by some of his contemporaries on the left side of the scene – but he's also got a wider vision, too – one that has the longer pieces stretching out with a compositional vision that goes way beyond just small combo jazz – a really wonderful sense of tones, timings, and layers – served up by a quintet that includes Geoff Bradfield on bass clarinet, Marquis Hill on trumpet, Rob Clearfield on piano and accordion, and Jon Dellemyer on drums. The mix of bass clarinet and trumpet is wonderful – all fluttery and shimmery over the blocky rhythms of the group – and the record has a bold sense of energy that never lets up. Titles include "In Every Lonely Chamber", "Coriander", "Over Under Other", "My Favorite Stranger", "Carefree", and "All The Riven". ~ Dusty Groove
Sweet jazzy soul from C Robert Walker – a really old school sort of vocalist, of the sort we haven't heard emerge this strongly in years! Walker's done work with other groups, and has appeared on some remixes too – but this full album is really a great step forward, and has the vocalist coming across with a classy, sophisticated vibe right from the start – really the kind of depth you might have expected from a major label debut many years back – at a time when the big labels were still dedicated to discovering soul music this great! In addition to mellower moments, Walker's also got a great way with a groover – and really stretches out with a strong sort of charm on the album's upbeat tracks – not really club numbers, but paced at a level that definitely keeps the record fresh. Titles include "Something's Going On", "How Can I", "One Night Stand", "Touch Me", "How Was It For You", "Mind Travelling", "I Can't Get Enough", and "Shame". ~ Dusty Groove
A really excellent little compilation – one filled with great sounds from the Brazilian underground, and a really rich blend of music that goes way beyond the straighter booty-shaking beats you'll find on other collections of this nature! The music here is often much deeper than some of the straight bass and hip hop coming out of the Brazilian charts – and although lots of these cuts do draw on American production influences, the overall presentation is much rootsier – with echoes of the samba soul generation and other great stretches of Brazilian grooves – even when things are somewhat electric overall. The whole thing's a very much-needed push deeper into the contemporary underground in Rio and Sao Paulo – and titles include "Obrigahh" by Doncesao, "Talarico" by Ogi & Stereodubs, "Cada Um Cada Um" by Espiao, "Balboa Da Silva" by Bixiga 70, "Mulato" by Iconili, "Sou De Salvador" by Rodrigo Campos, "Etiopia" by Sambanzo, and "Cala Boca Menino" by Afroelectrico. 2CDs, and 32 cuts in all! ~ Dusty Groove
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