Cadillac Jones
Rhythm Method
City Recordings
By Chris Homer
Atlanta’s Cadillac Jones continues to prove that they are masters of the jazz-funk genre with their fourth album, Rhythm Method.
Rhythm Method finds
the seven-piece band crafting an album full of funk guitar riffs, popping bass
lines, tight horn melodies and a healthy dose of experimentation on their
sound. Cadillac Jones’ jazz-funk-jam
hybrid sound will please anyone with musical tastes falling somewhere in that
range.
The band’s jazz roots are clearly heard in “Late Night with Merle Epstein,” which plays like a fairly straight-ahead jazz number. Tight horn lines, provided by Robbin Rahman on sax and Jonathan Lloyd on trombone, complement Chris Case’s simmering key melodies to create a memorable song. “The Gooch” and “Brass Bullet” are also dense with infectious horn melodies, and the soloing ability of Rahman and Lloyd is apparent in both tracks. Their solos quickly become the highlights of the songs.
Rhythm Method’s most enjoyable tracks infuse the band’s jazz base with a funk edge. While “Brass Bullet” has horn lines straight out of New Orleans jazz, it also has a popping bass line and fuzzed-out keys that lend the track an undeniably great funk sound.
Likewise, “Testify” is a powerful jazz-funk song that owes much of its success to Case’s key solos and the excellent funk-guitar solos provided by Gary Kurz. “Moneyshot” also plays on a classic funk bass line with huge horn melodies. The album’s title-track, “Rhythm Method,” features some of the funkiest bass sounds on the LP. The song becomes truly outstanding during its frantic funk breakdown, anchored by yet another strong sax solo. “Rhythm Method” also features interesting turntable work, warming the listener up for some of the album’s experimentation.
“Volcano Sunday” is one of the best examples of Cadillac Jones’ ability to experiment with their sound successfully. The song starts out with a laid-back jazz atmosphere that suddenly morphs into a track full of distorted guitar and turntable effects, giving the band’s jazz-funk sound a jammy, psychedelic quality.
The band also has success inserting afro-beat percussion into their sound on “Suya.” Meanwhile, “Vindaloo” features synth-pop sounds that compliment Cadillac Jones’ sound surprisingly well.
Overall, Rhythm Method is an album guaranteed to impress jazz and funk fans alike. Cadillac Jones’ unique ability to experiment on this sound is impressive, and will likely keep the band sounding fresh for more albums to come.
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