Super Funky Sax "Mo' Better Funk" (1994)

Would you settle for just Funky Sax?

1994's Mo' Better Funk is the 14-years later follow-up to producer David Matthews' Super Funky Sax project, accentuating the musicianship of saxophones, and, well, funk. There's no doubt this project launched in 1980, at the helm of a zenith crescendo in funk, fusion and disco-laced jazz. But 14-years have past, and it's interesting to see how Matthews' planned to inject this bygone era into the 90's, which isn't always an easy feat.

It's no surprise nobody's heard of the cheesy title and like magenta, clip artsy hues of Super Funky Sax...

Like most of his other works, Matthews' works are recorded in New York and produced in Japan though almost all of his participants are regularly New York musicians -- and some of the best he's kept close all these years. Most comparatively mirroring Bob James' in his arrangement style of delivering lofty production values, bombastic orchestras, horns and star-studded instrument solos, Matthews' has also been around long enough to know how to fuse commercially successful jazz, funk, even rock and strings. For unknown reasons, the American-born, incognito David Matthews' has had much notoriety and success in Japan, more so than his homeland. Most of his releases and projects have gone Japan-only, including the bizarrely titled and the out-of-print/non-reprinted Mo' Better Funk.

Unlike many other Matthews' productions, Super Funky Sax gives up most of the auxiliary bells and whistles of previous works, focusing on a jazz-rock set with four saxophonists at the spotlight by way of Kenny Garrett, Chris Hunter, a Sanborn doppleganging pitch on altos and band regulars George Young on tricky scaled tenor and Roger Rosenberg on (never boring) baritone.

Ironically, Super Funky Sax's second release has everyone in their place, strictly roled and seemingly statuesque at times, almost instructed not to play anything out of turn.

But nothing's off on the saxophone quartet, sometimes trio, all the solos are expertly manned and balanced though the crown has been given to guest Kenny Garrett, whose sometimes bright alto is uncompromised in signature to heartiness and passionate notes.

Mixing it up, Matthews' has appointed a specifically designated rhythm section comprised of veteran drummer Steve Gadd, Anthony Jackson on bass (you can really feel), rhythm and cutting guitars from Ira Seagal and Ross Traut with David Spinozza at the frontline, adding the jazz-rock flavors inbetween saxophones. Keyboardist Gil Goldstein sifts into the background mostly, whose organ presents itself on Mayfield's cover and that's about it. If only Matthews' appointed solos for other non-winds players than guitarist Spinozza, the band wouldn't have sounded mechanical, programmed and imprisoned to just play for the saxes. Such talent seems wasted, stamped to the background, especially for a round-up of legendary session players here.

Mo' Better Funk's programme is seven polite, even-tempered and tempo but sanitized and heavily controlled on-rails, post-era jazz-funk; mostly robotic and seemingly medicated, yet accomplished in groove and bounciness. What each tune fails to deliver by way bordering on uninspired background music, earns points for being yet another quality sound design production Matthews' is no stranger to, making this disc highly listenable and toe-tapping, if not fresh.

Of the seven cuts, all were composed and arranged by Matthews with the exception of Curtis Mayfield's People Get Ready and one of the liveliest numbers on the disc that feels most oiled, constantly trading solos on sax and guitar.

Air, which mimicks MJ's Billie Jean bassline keeps a bounce between solos mostly by Garrett until Spinozza breaks it up with some cool guitar, ending on an exciting baritone by Rosenberg. Smooth! adds on a smokey aire of detective jazz that begs for a mute but gives with mid-tempo and a surprise opening solo given to Spinozza's guitar, ends on Young's eclectic tenor soloing.

Super Groove II reprises from the original Super Funky Sax with homage to the original, having the understudy-in-sound Chris Hunter scream the echoes of Sanborn's tight alto. An almost nine-minute track desires to be the disc's jam session, impaired by an on-rails loop of melodic chorus, which ends up a plaguing arrest to most cuts on Mo' Better Funk here on out.

Sweet As Honey wants to be much more as demonstrated by a strong opening and a strong saxophone backbone but droops down to yet another syrupy paced circuit. Snake In The Grass turns up some attitude, most specifically with one of the most impressive, electrifying and spastic solos played out by George Young, who continually wows with an unpredictable tenor and Matthews' under utilized secret weapon on this release.

Mo' Better Funk could have been a Mo' Better disc if only David Matthews' could've been mo' himself: unchaining himself and the band a little bit, making those meandering moments on too many tracks filled with more soloing. Seems unnecessary for some of these tracks to trail on as long as they do with some saxists sitting backgrounded to mostly forgettable funk that seems to have been absent Mo' Soul.

Matthews' would go on to do a third (and final) Super Funky Sax Wazzup? in 1996. Let's hope they get it mo' right and tight next time.

THE DIGITAL VERDICT : 6.5 (D)  

Dawn of THE DIGITAL MASTER

I was probably about 16 years old listening to XM's Watercolors in my dad's 'old' Jetta. On a rainy night, the prominent fretless bass of something I quickly adhered to from Dave Grusin's cover of Ronnie Laws' Friends And Strangers came on and I was mesmerized. The cool Rhodes reminded me of Bob James' Westchester Lady, one of my earliest contemporary jazz favorites on drives home on I-95, along with Chuck Mangione's radio standard Feels So Good. Haven't heard that on the radio in ages... I guess John Mayer, One Direction and Lady Gaga are more popular on that 'Lite' station now...

What's the DIGITAL MASTER anyway? 

I started this site as a project dedicated to the founders' Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen's GRP label, a label which pioneered a promise to high-quality jazz-fusion in an exclusively digital recording philosophy. It seems while the label has touched many, GRP has been much dismissed by genre purists and snobs who, at times with kernels of truth, refer to GRP as the smooth jazz progenitor and 'jazz-lite' label for the Sunday Brunch crowd.

OK, some of that may be true. 

I don't love the entire GRP catalog, but I'm not here to draw its faults. Instead, I want to focus on how influential GRP is and how its legacy has remained strong all these years by celebrating its vibrant catalog. Though GRP still exists today, its only a shadow of its former self after the 'GR' left the 'P', the label launched many greats and believed in them as well. 

Most importantly, Mr. Dave Grusin, who in large part established GRP, is a composer, arranger, producer and master class of the piano (and very early on, many synthesizers and Rhodes). His passion and belief in not only modern jazz and eyeing talent but also delivering it in the highest presentable fashion (on compact disc before the dawn of the consumable media) was unheard of. I'm sure it wasn't easy in the beginning though GRP's goal quickly became a headline in 'commercial' jazz, jazz artists never look to make it as easy as Billboard Pop-Rocks. GRP's vision was from this passion, an honest label for jazz, music lovers and audiophiles. 

I noticed apart from Amazon.com and some here-and-there jazz 'zines, there's no place nor individual who's discussing GRP or any other jazz. Mainly, I wanted to have a forum and haven for contemporary jazz-fusion enthusiasts to share ideas in addition to my own.

I've been a fan of many kinds of jazz for most of my life and now I'm delving into GRP's extensive catalog and it has already introduced me to hundreds of melodies and artists I've not heard before. But I'm not going to focus solely on GRP, I'll be looking at anything that crosses my path whether it be what I find in a thrift store, f.y.e., internet-obtained or a small town music shop. 

So yes, most of what you see here are my own CDs, almost all second-hand, GRP has an extensive list of CDs that were never reprinted in almost 25 years under the current leadership. Many of them still sound excellent but may need some current technological attention. After all, most of these are mastered to decades old standards. Some of these were found randomly and some obtained through curiousity. There's a small exception you may find -- if it's highly unattainable or only in vinyl, generously passed on by another, I may discuss it.

So please, with coffee (or tea) in hand, enjoy THE DIGITAL MASTER and welcome.