Town Called Earth
Although most people haphazardly toss them in the ever-growing acid-jazz bucket, reed playerKarl Densonis quick to point out that his quintet plays boogaloo music. Popularized in the late 1960s byPuchoandBoogaloo Joe Jones, boogaloo is a danceable funk-jazz-soul hybrid named after the popular jig of the period. The Greyboys borrow funk's urgent rhythms, jazz's sophisticated improvisation, and the polished, easy-flowing groove of soul. Their funk is not "nasty" as much as it is "tasty." They've also been wise enough to play with and learn from veteran soul-jazz men such asMelvin SparksandFred Wesley. (Wesley contributes particularly eloquent liner notes regarding the idea of "white boys playing Black Music.") These 10 creative originals include upbeat vamps, impressionistic free-funk, piano-driven blues workouts, and atmospheric mood pieces.--Marc Greilsamer