Jamming With Soulive (Black History Month Writeoff)

Soulive is another CD that made its way to my player courtesy of mah girl Carletta, so it's only fitting that I review this as my first entry into her and madtheory's Black History Month writeoff. I hope to offer up some other reviews for this writeoff during the week, so keep your eyes peeled.

I think at least half the reason Carletta sent me Soulive's "Next" is that the album features a cover of an Ani DiFranco song and everybody knows how much I love her music. She's right; I generally love anything that features Ms. DiFranco's music, even if it's a cover song. And with all the jazz inspired music Ani DiFranco has been putting out lately, it didn't surprise me at all that a jazz group took on one of her songs for their own album. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Let's be straight. What I know about jazz is pretty limited as it's not a genre I'm generally drawn to. I'm familiar with a lot of older artists due to my man's brief interest in the music and that's about where it ends. Jazz artists are not something I tend to delve into willingly - it's just not my style. Because of that, Soulive threw me for a loop, because their album "Next" is something I've come to enjoy.

The group - Neal Evans (keys), Eric Krasno (guitar), Alan Evans (drums), and Sam Kininger (alto sax) - pique my interest because their music offers a fresh new view of jazz. On "Next" they mix their own purely instrumental tracks with those featuring guest vocalists. The balance between the two is what really keeps non-jazz fans like me interested in the album and keeps the instrumental tracks from fading into background noise.

As someone who prefers music with vocals, much of Soulive's work is a bit hard for me to get into. However, these guys are really tight and the sounds they are creating are upbeat and interesting enough to capture my attention. For instance, their opening number, "Tuesday Night's Squad," borders on outright funk and is truly a fun song. Other tracks like "Flurries" make me want to get up and dance. The same can be said of most of the other instrumentals. Soulive bend and mold jazz into their own creation with precise arrangements and tons of energy.

Of course, the vocal tracks featuring some wonderfully selected guests are what grab my attention the most. "Joyful Girl," the Ani DiFranco cover, is surprisingly well sung by Dave Matthews, who changes the lyrics around a bit but still maintains the integrity of the original. My other favorite is "I Don't Know" which includes the beautiful voice of Amel Larrieux. Her vocals are astounding and she sounds perfectly at home singing with Soulive. The other two vocal tracks feature Talib Kweli and Black Thought (of the Roots) and while they are really not my style, I love that they push the edges of what jazz is all about and shows that Soulive have the ability to use experimentation to their advantage.

I think Soulive is definitely a group that will appeal to younger jazz fans or those just getting their first taste of the genre. Because their music dabbles in a lot other areas, I think "Next" can easily draw in fans of other genres. Even for those who prefer vocal music, there's enough here to keep your attention throughout. "Next" is worth picking up for the experience alone, but will likely find a place in most people's rotation.

Track Listing
Tuesday’s Night Squad
Flurries
Liquid
Joyful Girl featuring Dave Matthews
Kalen
Clap! Featuring Black Thought of The Roots
Interlude
Ne-Ne
I Don’t Know featuring Amel Larrieux
Whatever It Is
Alkime
E.D. Hambone
Bridge To ‘Bama: Hi Tek Remix featuring Talib Kweli



Thanks to cletta1201 and madtheory for inviting me to the Black History Month writeoff. Check out the reviews of the other participants:

aeoakley / aerocat / artbyjude / atchesonate / bigd99999 / brotherman / cdm72 / cletta1201 (host) / cntaur5 / cr01 / dedemw / divad23 / e-kleptic / ed_grover / ekidd911 / ez013182 / flamepillar / frostiepekkle / fuche_bu / gc_mom / hierograffiti / insomniac1587 / jay1051971 / jeff_wilder78 / jennjoy / jo.com / kristinafh / lambchops / macresarf1 / madtheory (host) / marinermoose22 / matta75 / megstar / netnut746 / officer / paulyoungotti / pmills1210 / psychovant / roheblius / shadesofblue / sherkarr / skbreese / sparkospunky / speeddemon531 / stairway2drew / standells / susidee34 / tdswift89 / thevoid99 / tjolims / youngchinq / waynio