Album Review: The Headhunters - Live from Brooklyn Bowl

The Headhunters

Live From Brooklyn Bowl

*** out of *****

The legendary funk/jazz/fusion outfit The Headhunters are still at it, with original members Bill Summers (percussion) and Mike Clark (drums) leading the band on a 50th anniversary world tour in 2023. To commemorate this milestone the group recorded their stop at Brooklyn Bowl in early January, releasing this live album. 

While nowhere near essential, Live From Brooklyn Bowl is a testimony to this bands grooving ways. Herbie Hancock is not present but the original members are supported by some of the best doing it today with the legend himself Donald Harrison playing alto sax, the energetic Kyle Roussel (Preservation Hall Jazz Band) on keys, and Chris Severin (Dr. John) holding down the bass. This core, some of New Orleans finest, pumps lively energy into all the tracks presented here. 

The funky big bass and percussion opens the live album with "Four String Drive" as Harrison's alto work is magical, shining with majestic power., a mid song break and piano solo to close kicks things off proper. "Rocking In The Mole House" from the band's 2022 release Speakers In The House, starts off with Roussel's soft piano intro and you can hear the bowling balls hitting the pins, a reoccurring theme whenever the band gets quite, pulling attention away from the music, but certainly speaking to the time and place.       

After some introductions Harrison again shines with a solo on "Headhunters Jam" while "Butterfly" is smooth jazz that flirts with easy listening before percussion and piano kick up the energy to end. The band's classic "Watermelon Man" is smooth as silk as the group expertly delivers the goods while "Loft Funk" is a solo showcase highlighted by Severin's bass outings and Clark's drumming. 

Editing on the album is a bit odd as the group fades into a energetic version of "Chameleon" with the spritely funk kicking around the venue while the fantastic show closing "Hey Pocky A-way" also fades out with Harrison still in full vocals flight. These editing choices and the random crash of pins makes this release feel just a step above a fan recording, but when The Headhunters are in full flight on Live From Brooklyn Bowl the energy is palpable and worth seeking out.  

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Support the artists, buy the album see them live (like we did in October) and peep some video below:

Album Review: The Headhunters - The Stunt Man

The Headhunters

The Stunt Man

**** out of *****

The Headhunters, the remaining members of Herbie Hancock's backing band as well as some modern jazz greats, are experiencing a renaissance lately and the excellent The Stunt Man is another winning addition to their catalog. 

Full Show Friday: The Headhunters @ LEAF Global Arts Festival 5-13-2023

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing). This week...The Headhunters! 

It's Jazzy January again here at RtBE, so get ready to kick off 2024 with some different styled shows every Friday. For this series we skew into new (or more recent) jazz lands. Keeping it current proves there is amazing live jazz still being performed no matter what Ken Burns says.

We started off Jazz January with a review of the Headhunters (who we got to see live last year) recent live album and we will end the Full Show Friday's this month with their live set from LEAF Global Arts Festival last year. 

  

Enjoy:

Live Review: The Headhunters with DJ Logic - Cafe Wha?! NYC 10/25/23

 Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here:

It is of The Headhunters with DJ Logic early show at Cafe Wha?! in NYC on Wednesday 10/25/23. 

This show took place exactly 50 years to the day that the outfit (with Herbie Hancock), released their most famous album. 

Support the artists, read the review and peep some video below from a show earlier in the year:

Album Review: Kyle Roussel - Church of New Orleans

Kyle Roussel

Church of New Orleans

**** out of *****

The newest Big Easy piano maestro delivers an ode to his hometown, as Kyle Roussel's Church of New Orleans captures the current sound of the town with tip of the cap to its history and a lot of grade A support from Roussel's friends and colleagues.

Album Review: Various Artists - Take Me To The River: New Orleans

Various Artists

Take Me To The River: New Orleans Soundtrack

**** out of *****

The soundtrack to the extremely affecting film, Take Me To The River: New Orleans is a slice of the city itself as legends, new artists and famous guests all join the party, adding their spice to the musical gumbo of this long running soundtrack. For those who are already fans of the city and it's music and newcomers as well, this capturing of sounds will be a fruitful listening experience to compliment the film.  

The effort begins under the hot and hazy sun, slowly working up a sweat with a looping pace, as Cyril Neville (backed by the Voices of The Wetlands) croons that he is "In Love With My Nola" around light Caribbean breeziness before Big Freedia brings the dirty get down bounce, helped along by Mannie Fresh and Galactic. 

The party really kicks off when The Soul Rebels and 5th Ward Weebie shoutout the area code of "504 (Enjoy Yourself)" delivering a highlight offering which drips into the party propelling "Street Parade" by Dumpstaphunk with Cyril Neville. This being New Orleans, the good times just keep rolling through PJ Morton's electric "New Orleans Girl" which gets jumping with the likes of Cheeky Blakk and Rebirth Brass Band.   

The film and soundtrack took a long time to come together and lots of artists who participated are no longer living, including 5th Ward Weebie, Art and Charles Neville and perhaps someone who represented NOLA more than anyone else over the last half century, Dr. John. The good doctor plays two piano offerings supported by Davell Crawford "Jock A Mo" (written by Davell's grandfather James "Sugar Boy" Crawford) and the moving "Someone To Love". Crawford takes the solo piano reigns and ups the ante with the gospel influenced spiritual "We Shall Gather By The River", a heartfelt stunner. 

From the churches to the clubs, that is how New Orleans rolls, and this soundtrack is no different as Snoop Dog, G-Eazy and William Bell contribute on a supped up rendition of the classic Allen Toussaint/Lee Dorsey hit "Yes We Can Can" as George Porter Jr. and more support the hip hop flow. Aaron Neville shouts out to legends and locales on the funky as all get out "Stompin' Ground" that features some of the best horn work on the album courtesy of The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. 

Those bright horns are everywhere though and the jazz legend Donald Harrison helps out the next generation known as the Tipitina's Interns on their popping version of the traditional "When The Saints Come Marching In" and the modern generation with his nephew Christian Scott. That duo light up the ears with a blazing modern jazz display titled "Sand Castles Headhunters", stunning from the first notes. 

The soundtrack runs long, but there is a lot to cover musically with this town.  The percussive Mardi Gras Indians get after it with The 79ers Gang "Wrong Part of Town" and the chanting Big Chief Monk Boudreaux who guzzles that "Firewater". The Cajun country is represented by The Lost Bayou Ramblers who fiddle around and bring onboard Walter "Wolfman" Washington and Ani DiFranco to round out "Blue Moon Special". Classic soul and R&B, which traces lineage down river, also gets an airing as the legendary Irma Thomas partners with the modern day diva Ledisi to sing the powerful "I Wish Someone Would Care" backed by the funky grooves of George Porter Jr., Eric Krasno, Ian Neville, and Ivan Neville. 

While it runs for miles like the river itself, and the sequencing gets a bit odd at times, there is no doubt that there are many many musical gems to be found within. This could very easily have been a triple album or beyond with the immense musical talents and offerings found down south in New Orleans. Be sure to watch the documentary film and then pick up the soundtrack to Take Me To The River: New Orleans for hours of funky fun. 

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Having seen the film back in April, RtBE finally gets to the soundtrack.  It is a doozy. 

Support the artists, buy the album and peep some video below: