More like Rare Soul Express. Couldn’t believe I found this in the
original, and rarity aside, the music did NOT disappoint. Beginning with a massive break on opener
“R.S.E.,” this LP and group are something else—clavinet-crazed jazz-funk a la
The Crusaders or Wood Brass & Steel, layered in thick swaths of
pocket-driven, bass-heavy production from George “Chocolate” Perry. That being said, jazz-funk is only one part
of their equation; the lead vocals from Rickey Washington (who also plays flute
and bari sax here) are skilled and nuanced enough to match the complex,
multi-tiered grooves. You can hear this
synchronicity on the acoustic guitar-led “Emergency,” and on the horn-driven,
sanctified “It’s In You.” I think one of
the things that surprised me the most about this LP is how immaculate it
sounds; small-label efforts like this don’t usually tend to be graced with such
smooth, well-produced potency. It’s a
pretty flawless effort, I gotta say, and if there’s any downside—and it’s not
much of one—it’s in the fact that the band can’t seem to make up its mind on
whether or not it wants to be EWF or The Blackbyrds. I dig the dichotomy myself, and it makes for
dense, intriguing listening if you’re into esoteric funk.
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