Telarc
2006
One-Two Punch
About This Album
It's been four long years since Mars Williams and Liquid Soul have issued another chapter in their ongoing dissemination of musical genres under the jazz banner. One-Two Punch, the band's debut for the Telarc label, is a lot rougher, rawer, and more upfront raucous than anything they've done to date. While the slicker grooves of uptown soul, funk, and hip-hop are still present, but there are African and Middle Eastern modes, drones, and polyrhythms in a mix saturated with DJs (DJ Logic is the house turntablist in this band, but he's one of a number), killer guitars, and of course that four-piece horn section that includes Williams, trumpeters Hugh Ragin and Doug Corcoran, and trombonist Andy Baker. Phil Ajjarapu's bass is the bedrock with Tony Taylor's kit work walloping the groove. The opener, "Baghdad Café," begins with a chorus of sampled voices chanting, coming out of the ether as breakbeats come sailing up from underneath like machine guns. Tommy Klein's guitars start a rolling metallic vamp before the horns collide in the center. Voices enter and leave like ghosts from another age. They rasp, soar, wail, and worship. The horns plot the course of this modal groove that is equal parts Egypt and Nigeria.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,7,11 and 12)

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