Rating:
Genre:
Jazz
Release Date: 02/25/2003
With a name like
B3 Bombers, you might expect anything from sheets of noise to explosive sounds. What you get is a heaping of solid
funk, interlaced with a strong jazzy feel and some decent solos. Featuring the powerfully anchored drumming and vocals of
Clyde Stubblefield, the group's soulful renditions are perfect fare for a breezy spring evening, where the groove knocks off your socks. Not overly sophisticated, but almost always well played, the songs, including
James Brown's
"Make it Funky," reach down in the gut and the band produces a rollicking fun time. While the horns improvise regularly, the strength of the band lies in its collective renditions of mostly original
blues and
soul-drenched tunes that while not too demanding are nearly all delightfully spirited.
Joel Adams' raunchy trombone adds some ragged phrasing, while saxophonists
Doug Lawrence and (especially)
Pat Mallinger, and organist
Dan Trudell and guitarist
Mike Standal never let it stray from a solid groove. To enjoy it at its best, you've got to turn the volume way up, and dance or sway to the beat. It is uplifting and hard-swinging, the kind of fare that engines the adrenaline.
Stubblefield's authentic and emotionally uplifting vocals on
B.B. King's
"Sweet Sixteen" are true to the original spirit.
~Steven Loewy, All Music Guide
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