Soul Vaccination - Soul Vax Live in PDX

When Downbeat reviewer Frank-John Hadley heard the previous CD by Soul Vaccination, "What Is Hip?," he wrote, "Folks in the Pacific Northwest are lucky to have a real soul band this fine and exciting. This New Englander is jealous." Certainly there are horn bands in every region of the country that play the great soul standards. But very few of them bring that material to life by playing it with the fire, precision and soul of the original bands. Soul Vaccination does, and SoulVax Live in PDX-the band's latest collection of live tracks drawn from the "Great American Soul Songbook"-is yet more evidence of that. First up is a smoking performance of Stevie Wonder's classic, You Met Your Match, as re-imagined by Tower of Power. The Soul Vax horns have a field day with this one-particularly bari sax player Tim Bryson and tenor sax soloist Gary Harris. And when lead vocalist Paul Creighton sings, "my love light's burning," he practically melts the disc! The next track, Higher Ground (another Stevie classic), again features Creighton on lead vocal, this time with Bryson (now on alto sax) and bassist John Linn taking the solos. The arrangement-by Soul Vax trumpeter-bandleader Dave Mills-is based on a version of the song by bassist Marcus Miller, but includes a time-bending ending that Stevie's band used live. Completing an opening Stevie Wonder medley is Do I Do, again featuring Paul Creighton on lead vocal. This is one of Wonder's most challenging tunes to pull off, but Soul Vax does so-with ease. Creighton's jazzy inventiveness during the ride is electrifying. Next up is Down To the Nightclub, off Tower of Power's second CD, "Bump City." Soul Vaccination's love for TOP (the band is named after another TOP classic) shines through here. Two minutes and nineteen seconds of crisp horn band funk! The vibe changes with Curtis Mayfield's Super Fly, title song from the classic 1972 Blaxsploitation film. Guitarist Max Rees' wah-wah and keyboardist Dave Aston's Wurlitzer electric piano & Hammond B-3 help set the dark, funky mood, and lead vocalist Regina K delivers the poignant lyric with plenty of soul. By the way, that's Soul Vax's drummer Edwin Coleman III-aka "E3'-singing the final "tryin' to get over" in falsetto. Background vocals are one of Soul Vax's many strengths, and E3 helps out on several tracks on this CD. Speaking of E3: a powerful, supple rhythm section is the foundation of a great horn band, and Coleman, Linn, and guitarist Rees lay down wonderfully funky grooves throughout this recording. Mark Wyatt takes over lead vocal duties next-on Prince's wild Everlasting Now-and he hits it out of the park, as does Max Rees with his guitar solo. The original included a Sheila E timbales solo, but Soul Vax doesn't have a percussionist. No problem: E3 pulls off the arrangement beautifully by himself! Regina K resumes lead vocal duties on Best of My Love, a 1977 collaboration between The Emotions and Earth Wind & Fire. This tight, faithful Soul Vax rendition reminds us that the best "disco" was wonderful, soulful dance music. Try to listen to this track while sitting still! Express Yourself was a 1970 hit for one of the funkiest bands ever-the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band. Just listen to the fun lead vocalist Mark Wyatt has with this tune-particularly as he and the rhythm section mix it up during the ride out. To Be Real is another disco classic brought to vivid life by Soul Vax and lead vocalist Regina K. Close your eyes, and you can see the packed, sweaty dance floor, the platform shoes, and the mirrored disco ball circling overhead! Ron Regan (tenor sax) and Dave Aston (keys) take a pair of nice solos. For Runaway Baby, Soul Vax jumps from the '70s to the present. But not really; Bruno Mars is a throwback artist: one who can sing, dance and entertain like the great soul singers of the past. Runaway Baby is arguably Mars' most irresistible tune, and it features horns. Up Soul Vax's alley! Predictably, Regina K kills it. The CD concludes with a pair of wonderful bonus tracks, recorded live at the 2013 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival and featuring a legendary special guest: organist Chester "CT" Thompson (Tower of Power & Santana). First up is Congo Square, based on the Neville Brothers' rendition. Paul Creighton handles the lead vocal, and Tim Bryson (alto), E3, and CT all tear it up with solo turns. That's followed by a video track, the classic TOP ballad, So Very Hard To Go. Creighton's lead vocal channels Lenny Williams' soulful yearning on the original, and lead trumpeter Lewis Livermore nails the classic trumpet solo. Meanwhile, the Soul Vax horns, along with CT's organ and Dave Aston's piano, add lushness to the funky groove laid down by the rhythm section. A gorgeous track and the perfect conclusion to a great live CD. Poor Frank-John Hadley. When he hears SoulVax Live in PDX, he may just have to abandon New England and move to the funky Northwest. --Louis 'King Louie' Pain.