PoddyPeople

Album: Brass Mafia
Artist: Jazz Mafia
Rating: 7 Chocolate Starfish out of a possible 10.

It’s One O’clock on a Thursday afternoon as I click on the Jazz Mafia album, Brass Mafia. I’m at work bored out of my boxer briefs. I have nothing better to do, so here goes…

The first song I listen to is the Fela Kuti medley. It doesn’t make me want to strangle myself with the headphone chord. I continue on to the Brass Mafia Theme.

I wonder what type of movie the Brass Mafia Theme would be the score to? Maybe a 70’s crime flick, directed by Peckinpah, filled with inexplicable nudity and violence. I dig the second movement in this track, it sounds like a jazzy prog-rock Yes song. At this point it becomes clear that these cats are some bad ass, no fooling around, swinging dick MUSICIANS.

The next cut is called 80s Mash-Up. Thankfully I don’t recognize any of the songs they purport to mash up, as I hate the 80’s. All I hear is good music, kind of hypnotic. Oh wait, that’s Owner of A Lonely Heart, a Yes song! Followed by Salt n’ Pepa’s Push It. Followed by The Eurythmics, Sweet Dreams. Followed by some stuff I don’t recognize. Good show, next track!

Whoopin Blues. Classic New Orleans type marching shit. Probably great live, not my cup of tea right now. Next track!

Eastern Standard Time starts out on the Out-Jazz tip, segues into a 60’s era reggae groove/dirge. Feeling it. Makes me think about how badly I could use a trip down to the islands, but that won’t happen ‘cause I’m a cheap little bitch waiting to get laid-off.

Old School Mash-Up/What Have You Done? - I want to dislike this because Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings did this cover on their first album, but to be honest, this is a better version, this broad Emily Schmidt has some pipes. I wonder what she looks like. She sounds hot.

The last “official” song Confucious, what is there to say about this? Precise horn stabs, no hook, unsettling groove, then they drop in an Outkast hook, followed by Ornette Coleman’s Lonely Women, NICE, not sure what they’re doing now, sounds good though.

What’s this, a bonus Sousaphone Beatbox Jam? Okay, I can dig it, but I’m an absurdist.

Quality stuff. I want to see these cats live.