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Pick of the Week: Actual ProofBy Keith Hannaleck
iBerkshires Columnist
10:00AM / Sunday, February 07, 2010
Paradigm Shift
With their debut album "Paradigm Shift," Actual Proof delivers a real masterpiece of jazz-funk they can call their own and honestly say is unique. This is an offering to the masses who enjoy tastefully done music by seasoned pros.
Eric Mullis (vibraphone), Phillip Berkley III (bass), Scott Brower (drums) and Silas Aldridge (keyboard) throw away the book and write their own for jazz-funk. The album title gives an apt description of what is going on here – after all, a paradigm shift is something monumental.
The band's album notes compare their innovative music to Copernicus' revelation that the Earth was not the center of the universe. This band has you believing they are the center of the jazz funk universe as they provoke your senses in every way possible.
01. The Ion
02. Level It Out
03. The Ride
04. Mongo
05. Island
06. Future Time
07. Taboo
08. Harvey
09. It's Not Goodbye
10. Eric is Jive
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Genre: Jazz-Funk
Label: Independent
Web site
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CD Baby Link |
Actual Proof throw a little something different into each track to keep you completely focused on the music. I was totally absorbed listening to their funky brand of jazz fusion. Tracks like "Island" show how vibrant this band can be, using all of their instruments to their fullest potential, providing a kind of world feel to their sound. On "Taboo" I liked the way they featured each instrument without letting you forget all the other excellent musicianship surrounding it. For instance, when the band wanted the keyboards to step out front, I heard that but could not miss the fact that the bass was wonderful as well. It is hard to explain, but Actual Proof has produced a recording that makes each instrument the lead without washing out the others. The finished product is a cool jazz-funk amalgamation.
The vibraphone always lend a classy touch to jazz, and the music on this CD is no exception. Mullis is superb throughout the recording. On "Harvey" his vibraphone allures the alto saxophone of guest Adrian Crutchfield into the mix and the result is heavenly. Right after that exchange it gets more interesting as Aldrige adds some nice keyboards. The entire composition explodes in synchronicity, completing a of wave of jazz-funk sound that separates itself from anything you have heard before. This is not like a building crescendo in a rock song; it's one instrument after another taking the color palette and subtleties of jazz and making it into a mountain of sound, an aural gem for your listening pleasure.
Here is Actual Proof that a band of talented musicians can break the mold of what you expect from a particular genre.
For more reviews, www.muzikreviews.com; comments or questions on this or any other review, info@muzikreviews.com. |
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