One of the greatest institutions of modern music is the jam band. These performers get up on stage and improvise for full sets, fueled by the mood and by the audience.
Unfortunately, this is the reason that most studio recordings by jam bands don’t live up to the real thing. It’s sort of like watching porn on television — it’s all well and good, but it can’t measure up to the experience of being there. That’s exactly why the Greyboy Allstars’ live album “LIVE” is such a treat to listen to.
Formed in San Diego in 1993, the Greyboy Allstars are a jam band in every sense of the word. They play a groovy blend of acid jazz, West Coast boogaloo, and no-holds-barred funk. The five-piece group is led by co-founder Karl Denson on tenor saxophone, with Elgin Park on guitar, Chris Stillwell on bass, Robert Walter on keys, and Zak Najor on drums.
This band is so tight it borders on the otherworldly. From the moment you put the album on and hit “play,” you know you’re in for one hell of a ride. Released six years after the band was formed, this recording proves that some things do get better with age. The soloists improvise, from short licks to extended journeys, but never step over their bounds or on each other’s toes. The kinship between members is obvious. The guys in Greyboy obviously respect one another and give up ego trips for the good of their jams.
Not to say that they don’t show off. Not only is the band tight, they’re also impressive musicians, to say the least. Denson’s masterful playing is enough to send young tenor players crying to their mothers — if their heads don’t explode first, that is. Park and Stillwell weave expert solos on their strings, and Najor does the job of an entire percussion section on his drum set. Walter’s talent on keys can only be described as “the mad skeelz.”
From the opening licks of opening track “Hot Dog” to the slippery-smooth finale “Toys R Us,” every track on this album is worthy of numerous listenings. The jams are a veritable west-coast tour of jazz, funk, and boogaloo, from the expressive-then-funked-up version of “Check Your Mind” to the booty-shaking “Hot Pants Breakdown.” Particularly impressive are the super-long jam “Happy Friends,” which changes moods and tempo for nearly eleven minutes, the funky dance groove “Jack Rabbit,” which features an amazing tenor solo, and “Tenor Man,” which the showcased Denson makes hornier than a fifteen-year-old at a strip club.
The Greyboy Allstars’ “LIVE” is quite simply a must-own if you’re a fan of funk, improvisation, or just exceptional musicianship. The Allstars break the barrier presented by recording in a studio with this all-live album. This is as close as you can get to having them jam in your room without a felony kidnapping charge — and it’s a trip definitely worth taking.
Jason “Dirty Jake” Christie can be contacted at [email protected]