Rhythm Method
City Recordings
By Chris Homer
Atlanta’s
Cadillac Jones continues to prove that they are masters of the jazz-funk genre
with their fourth album, Rhythm Method.
Rhythm Method finds
the seven-piece band crafting an album full of funk guitar riffs, popping bass
lines, tight horn melodies and a healthy dose of experimentation on their
sound. Cadillac Jones’ jazz-funk-jam
hybrid sound will please anyone with musical tastes falling somewhere in that
range.
The band’s jazz roots are clearly heard in “Late Night with
Merle Epstein,” which plays like a fairly straight-ahead jazz number. Tight
horn lines, provided by Robbin Rahman on sax and Jonathan Lloyd on trombone,
complement Chris Case’s simmering key melodies to create a memorable song. “The
Gooch” and “Brass Bullet” are also dense with infectious horn melodies, and the
soloing ability of Rahman and Lloyd is apparent in both tracks. Their solos
quickly become the highlights of the songs.
Rhythm Method’s most
enjoyable tracks infuse the band’s jazz base with a funk edge. While “Brass
Bullet” has horn lines straight out of New
Orleans jazz, it also has a popping bass line and
fuzzed-out keys that lend the track an undeniably great funk sound.
Likewise, “Testify” is a powerful jazz-funk song that owes
much of its success to Case’s key solos and the excellent funk-guitar solos
provided by Gary Kurz. “Moneyshot” also plays on a classic funk bass line with
huge horn melodies. The album’s title-track, “Rhythm Method,” features some of
the funkiest bass sounds on the LP. The song becomes truly outstanding during
its frantic funk breakdown, anchored by yet another strong sax solo. “Rhythm
Method” also features interesting turntable work, warming the listener up for
some of the album’s experimentation.
“Volcano Sunday” is one of the best examples of Cadillac
Jones’ ability to experiment with their sound successfully. The song starts out
with a laid-back jazz atmosphere that suddenly morphs into a track full of
distorted guitar and turntable effects, giving the band’s jazz-funk sound a
jammy, psychedelic quality.
The band also has success inserting afro-beat percussion
into their sound on “Suya.” Meanwhile, “Vindaloo” features synth-pop sounds
that compliment Cadillac Jones’ sound surprisingly well.
Overall, Rhythm Method
is an album guaranteed to impress jazz and funk fans alike. Cadillac Jones’
unique ability to experiment on this sound is impressive, and will likely keep
the band sounding fresh for more albums to come.
