Funk-de-fined!

Pop this in, go for a spin, and do it again!

Great music, whether you call it jazz, fusion, rap, R&B
This is one of those rare albums that you want to listen to over and over again, where you keep hearing new pieces you never heard before.

Like on the track "James Brown Part I and II": Carl Burnett's starting guitar, followed by a drum machine? then the horns, with Branford on tenor and David Sanborn on Alto, point/counter point all the way through. One of my favorite driving songs. Then part II goes into record scrachin' rappin'....then back to the horns. Fantastic.

"Another Day" slows it down, smooth. Then "Try These On" is one of the best mixes of jazz, rap, everything, that I've heard...always with Branford's horn.

"Samba Pop" starts out with a descriptive lyric: "Even if it's jazz in the quiet storm/Bebop converted in a hip hop form". That describes this track perfectly.

And don't miss the unnamed unmarked bonus track (#17 on the CD)...a very tight 4+ minute jazz tune.

I keep wishin' for a 3rd Buckshot album. How 'bout it, Branford? PLEASE!

Tight
Tight is what it is. The rhythmn section is locked on every groove, from straight ahead to rap. The improvisation is fiery. There's a ton of attitude on every track. Branford displays a musical genius in his work that is undeniable; that goes for all of his records, including this one. But if you could break free of all the labels regarding form and category, and just make an album of kickin' music, what would you do? I think that's what Mr. Marsalis may have asked himself before venturing off on this one. In my opinion, he hit it way out of the park. It doesn't have to be jazz, rap, techno-absurd or anything else. It just has to be right. And tight. This one makes it on both levels. Get into it, and it will get into you.

Awesome blend of jazz and hip hop!
This is one of the most incredible CDs I've ever heard. Marsalis has done an excellent job of blending his wonderful jazz sound with complex beats. Not only are the melodies good, but the improvisation by Marsalis, Calderazzo, Gunn, Sanborn, and the rest bring this CD to a whole other level. This CD shows that this talent covers numerous genres of music. From the up-tempo, intricate Jungle Grove, to the slow, moving Pheonix, to the heavy, My Way (Doin' It); the music never loses its good sound. It's been one of my favorite CDs for the three years that I've had it. I deffinatly recommend it to anyone.

Speaking of evolution...
Music evolution change/sometimes the common make it sound strange/ add a little this/take out a little that/then you'll come up with that jazz called rap/where it's at/take it back/because it is an ill format!

The issue is music evolution, and Buckshot LeFonque provides the listener with a lesson the way it should be done; take a monster band, make some great songs in a lot of different styles (although the jazz denominator will shine through on quite a lot of them), unite the music through its diversity, shake and stir, produce well, and there it is! Music evolution, or just pure listening pleasure. Rarely does a band/concept manage to make a set like this! There is plenty of good groove, acid jazz, a couple of ballads (featuring the remarkable Frank McComb), funk, samba hop, bebop converted in a hip hop norm, top level musicianship, entertainment, fun... I could just go on and on. This is a record that truly grows on you, and although it's got three years on its back now, it's still as fresh as it gets! This is probably going to be a true classic, summing up the nineties' eclectism and music evolution so far!

Go get it!