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Written
by David Shouse, posted by blog admin
The
funk genre lies relatively dormant these days with new artists and acts tough
to come by. I’ve heard a few but other
than Alabama prog-funk rockers CBDB, there really hasn’t been that much stuff
catching my ears anymore. I’m a big fan
of the genre and it sure is frustrating to have such difficulty discovering new
groups. Well along comes the Joe Olnick
band to turn that problem on its head and me on my ear. Downtown
is this airtight unit’s SIXTH record overall…where the heck have I been?
Downtown wastes no time
in getting to the point as the title track throws down some heavy, hook-y
instrumental funk that’s got no b.s. and showcases a trio of kick butt
musicians doing what they do best.
Bassist Jamie Aston catches a boogie woogie, wackachicka 70s lick and
engages in perfect rhythmic harmony with his skin-slapping cohort Jamie Smucker
who oozes class and quality with every jazzy cymbal splash and a barrage of
swift-handed attacks on the snare.
Guitarist/composer Joe Olnick rockets his way across the fretboard;
bluesy, FX-pedal goose guitar leads rock and roll their way into extensive,
expressive solos and tasty licks. This
is just full powered soul funk that teeters and eventually levels its balance
into a supreme mixture of jazz, funk, rock, blues and
total catchy goodness. Sharing a similar
mindset, several tunes offer up a congruent yet noticeably different variation
on a funk them; “Philadelphia Moonlight (Part One)” utilizes multi-tracked
guitars for a clean/distorted double trouble blitz that’s totally settled into
a mid-paced glory, “Food Truck” rocks harder and deliberately while allowing
the bass to provide its own lead instrumentation and Olnick serving up
five-fingered fretwork that nails some exotic high-flyer solos and “Rush Hour”
is the kind of old school 70s funk n’ jazz that’s so damn good it could even
appeal to fans of the almighty George Clinton and P-Funk.
Elsewhere
the album calls the dealer’s buff and takes free-wheeling chances and gambles
with the stylistic side of the coin for the construction of some tunes that are
totally different than anything else on the record altogether. “Parkside” eventually delivers the rockin’
funky grooves but employs a lengthy, meditative first half that’s weird and
angular in the way that late 80s/early 90s New York City noise-rock is and its
companion piece “Philadelphia Moonlight (Part Two)” is a creepy odd man out cut
that features guitar noise, a singular cymbal burst, an individual bass
notation and creeping keyboards…it’s a total no-wave approach and there’s
really no describing it. Even crazier,
closer “Sports Complex” is a fierce, voracious blend of hard rock and scraping
noise-punk that still manages to push the fact that this is a funk/jazz band
through and through… a really weird one but a funk/jazz band nonetheless.
Downtown is a great
record. It’s great because Joe and the
boys manage to merge tradition with trailblazing thanks to a refreshingly
original approach to the genre that’s never afraid to step outside of its
confines. I could see anyone from fans
of Coltrane to Clinton getting a rise out of this instrumental nuthouse. Joe Olnick’s discography is well-worth
checking out if you find yourself caught up with this album; recommended.
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