Good summation Kat. Additionally, I would like to hear more feedback from y'all about Rico's contribution to the band. I was expecting him to be a Kim-Clone, but he's not. I will always be a KS fan, but Rico is outstanding. I love the vibe he brings!

I also appreciate Kat's observations and opinions regarding the new release. As someone who has pretty much been on this board from the onset,I even enjoyed Tony Morales' freqent "blogs" about their tours/concerts back in the Prodigy days. During this transition from contemorary jazz benchmarks were early Ripps/Nelson Rangell's Yes, then Yes,/and of course Spyro releases. As all the new "smooth" transitions have been occuring and turning away not only radio stations and customers, I have yet to hear a true fan of this c jazz express their excitement that drum programming/loops were used. I agree with Kat that Modern Art is a melody presentation,and a wonderful one at that. However, I would think hearing some actual perscussion;drums might set it apart and give it more vibe than the oversynthed, programmed drums with the hollow crash cymbal. There is so much more smooth crap in the marketplace not to choose to spend my money on. It upsets me to know this release will probably get lumped into this when I know Russ could have done much better.

Kim is one of my closest friends on the planet...when my Mom passed away, he listened to me cry that night- for hours, and never lost patience.

I think it's hard for anyone to be a Kim-Clone. Kimet is one of a kind and always will be! He has a combo of coolness and melody that I think goes back to his admiration of Mingus. Kim always has a way of bringing that into his playing. You feel it in your heart and head.

Rico is a true gem... he lays down the groove, plays nice and solid to Dave - and there's a great pocket there. it makes me smile when I listen to them, there's a drive there. Rico brings a funky, groovy vibe that drives the band but never leaves the pocket. His playing is effortless... funky and not contrived or gimmicky. The effect is that you feel it in your gut.

Kim is cool jazz, Rico is groove - and I like listening to both.

As for the percussion... drums, etc - I like the live feel. even though I played keyboards and programmed my share of drums and bass lines, for me - nothing beats the feel of the real deal. If it doesn't hit in the heart and the gut, it's not real. (and probably not worth listening to!)

again... just my 2 cents.

OK, have to fix a typo here....in my previous post I said "However, I won't go so far as to say Russ and Co "phoned it in"...they are that kind of people- it may not have come out of the box with everything I'd hoped it would, but I'm sure they worked hard at it." what I MEANT was "However, I won't go so far as to say Russ and Co "phoned it in"...they are NOT that kind of people- it may not have come out of the box with everything I'd hoped it would, but I'm sure they worked hard at it."

Sheesh...need to learn to type, huh...

Anyway- Kat, I like what you said here- it is a melody fest.
And, of course, we both know there is NO ONE like Kim Stone. Great person and inspirational bassist.
Rico seems to fit in well here- although I'm ( you gotta expect this) NOT hearing any really challenging bass lines except in one or two cuts. Honestly, I feel like some portion of the bass work may have been programmed also. It's really hard to tell: either he's extremely good and precise, or it's Russ's programming. But, if it really is Rico, then yeah, excellent work from him- I wish I was that clean.

However, it just doesn't seem right without Kim- just me I guess...

Another thing about drums/percussion...Kat hit the nail on the head here also; it leaves a hole when you don't have it live, and when you leave out someone like Scott Breadman. Steve Reid's flamboyance (sp) while originally refreshing and original had become somewhat of a parody.

I will say the more I listen to it, there are a few more cuts that I am sitting through without hitting the skip button...overall, it's still a great cd (from the melody perspective anyway) and it's growing on me.

Same here. In terms of listening pleasure, there's nothing unfavorable about this album. Maybe it's too perfect/precise. As for Rico, I get the feeling he's playing but with the aforementioned precision that was demanded. In another discussion referring to R&B music, I lamented what I perceived as an absence of real bass players and drummers in a lot of the songs I was hearing at the time. Someone more knowledgeable about R&B than I said it wasn't that they didn't have bassists and drummers; it's that the songwriters/producers/album artists insisted things be done a certain way.
Oh, and Tony, I read what you said as intended, despite the absence of "not" in those sentences. Which goes to show you that the mind often reads what it thinks is there - sort of like that demonstration where they type a setnecne wtih the ltteres scarmbeld to see if you can read it without rearranging them.

Speaking from personal studio experience, I have found most standard (emphasis on standard) R&B and Pop music have producers and songwriters that desire simple and precise playing. Neo-Soul, Gospel and Blues are a bit looser. Even some smooth jazz music has simple precise playing. With the Ripps, the 'stretching out' comes in the live shows. I'm sure Rico can do a 'lil sum sum' or else Russ wouldn't have asked him to join the band.

I agree about the simple and precise - for classic soul and R&B.

Saw one of the most extraordinary performances since I saw the Funk Brothers on July 4th at the Montreal Jazz Fest.

Jason Miles' Soul Summit - the 2nd one... at Berks Jazz Fest. The rhythm section was Steve Ferrone on drums, Bob Babbit (Funk Brother) on bass, Jeff Golub on guitar and Reggie Young on guitar. It was glorious and felt perfect. The hooks, the riffs, the drums.... perfect!

DW;
yeah, I agree, Rico is probably capable of excellent play, I'was just saying I'm not hearing anything exceptional on this cd.
And the tone, exact volume level, never a more "human" like tweak to the bassline, occasional string squeak, no matter how faint, articulation variations.....it's just not there, which makes me question if it's "live" or programmed. When the bassline is exactly the same verse to verse, it usually means a loop- at least to my ears.
And simple and precise, for r&b....not for old school, they had a feel and sound to the bass lines that exuded energy, whether simple or more pounding (Larry Graham example).

Kat, that's a great lineup, wish I could have heard that one- the level of quality there would have been almost abmormally high....gotta love being in the presence of genius.

Enough said on this one....it's still a pleasant cd to listen to, just not what I expected, that's all. Still waaaay better than anything else in the smooth jazz genre.
But, I can get my "fix" for energy and power chops through other bands, more on the rock side of the road. And lately, that's more where I've been listening.

Later
TY

Case in point for precise playing. If y'all go to my myspace page (www.myspace.com/thefunkfather) and listen to the JPSteele demo, what you hear me playing is exactly what HE wrote and wanted me to play it exactly that way.

For what it's worth. AAJ