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The CD put me to sleep. There are a couple tracks with solid brass but if you are a horn player like me you will much prefer fusion group Liquid Soul. The feel of this album was more of a smooth jazz easy listening groove. The vocals are alright and the group is polished, but for brass enthusiasts, people who prefer classic, fast instrumentals and and upbeat percussion beat I'd suggest continuing your quest for other ensembles.
I never get enough of the collective styles that emerge from this group.I highly recommend buying at least the first 3 GC albums. Fly comes to mind from the "We The People" album mixing smooth R&B funk with Afro-Cuban patterned mayhem.
Every album reveals a new side of Groove Collective. Dance of a Drunken Master especially deserves heavy attention.
I keep coming back to this amazing group of musicians. Groove Collective is always able to stir up just the right mix of styles and sound effortlessly fresh while doing it.
The electronic sounds might be annoying at first to jazz heads but focus on the contrast of these tunes (like St. Gallen or Tangenziale) versus the mellower ones (dig Fabio's fantastic trumpet on Floating or the entire World Bank).
They continue to get away with these musical melanges here: Que te pasa'ti (combining a style that I consider their own with piano-driven montuno salsa), Tangenziale (riff GC funk with drumnbass), and World Bank (classical harpsicord with jam-band explosives). I consider them to be among the best recordings of the '90s:1 - Groove Collective (1993)2 - We The People (1996)3 - Dance of the Drunken Master (1998)
If your a horn lover and you like Jamiroquai, the Brand New Heavies or just love a funky groovy sound that is not sampled. I love funk, acid-jazz, acid-funk and jazz. this is a must hear. I am a musician and can be very picky about my funky/jazz music. This album is one of my favorites. You have great guitar, horns, drums, flute and bass. These guys know how to make great music for the acid-jazz/funk lovers and they WILL make you feel good.
the best thing about this album is its versatility, and its ablility to lift you up. i would recommend buying this album because it is very well rounded. the music is really upbeat and encorporates so many different styles (hip hop, latin, jazz, funk, even disco) that you arent really sure what you are listening to. all you know is that you really like it. groove collective is one group you should not let get past you. it reall deserves 41/2 stars.
I've been seeing GC for years, and you'll never capture the fatness of their sound on CD as well as you can live. I think the GC combine styles and sounds better than anyone doing acid/fusion/latin/whatever/jazz today. But We The People comes pretty damn close. This is a great album to party or get loose to, and on top of that, Fly is one of the most inspired songs ever written. Check out Declassified, Dance of the Drunken Master, and their first album too. And definitely catch a show.
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