On their 9th studio release, Therapy, British jazz/funk band The New Mastersounds have definitively proven themselves as funk masters. Blending stylistic elements of jazz, funk, soul, and, really anything deemed groovy, this band is the real deal. If you’re feeling stressed, what better way to relax than with some funk Therapy?
The New Mastersounds formed at a club in Leeds in the late 90’s, steadily rising in popularity with a constant stream of LPs and singles throughout the years. The band has jammed with several notable jazz musicians throughout the years, including Page McConnell (Phish), Karl Denson, Maceo Parker, and Art Neville (The Meters). This is a band that lives and breathes funk music.
Therapy opens onto the organ intro of “Old Man Noises,” an instrumental jazz jam that could have easily soundtracked a movie in the 1970’s. Driven with haunting Hammond organ tones, the soulful ballad gets things cooking right off the bat. The album keeps things rolling with “Morning Fly,” a guitar-melody-driven instrumental that seems best suited for a smoky jazz club. The give and take between the natural piano timbre and smooth guitar melodies knocks this track out of the park. You can hear the track for yourself:
Therapy also features a number of guest musicians, including the hailing, wailing sounds of Kim Dawson on “I Want You To Stay” and “Soul Sista,” and the saxophone of Ryan Zoidis on “Slow Down.” Both musicians add their soulful style to an already-groovy backing track, and the result is simply groovy.
The album also features a number entitled “Monday Meters,” which sounds like a musical tribute to the style of The Meters. With classic Hammond organ tones, loose slappy guitar hooks, and a funky bassline, the track rises and grooves like a Meters tune. Also, like a typical Meters song, the number clocks in at 2:25 (the shortest track on the album). Not to mention that the band lets all hell break loose in a funky middle section.
The final track of the album is a jazz instrumental cover of Bruno Mars’ “Treasure,” a funk tribute to a respectable pop icon. The New Mastersounds manage to inject their brand of soul into an already-upbeat song.
All in all, Therapy by The New Mastersounds is a fantastic album. I, for one, am certainly enjoying the funk revival of recent years, and, with bands like The Motet and The New Mastersounds around, it certainly seems that funk is here to stay.
You can find the album through the New Mastersounds website.
-David Melamed (@DMelamz)