Guitarist
Will Bernard continues to crank out the knotty and cerebral funk jams on 2007's
Party Hats. Falling somewhere between the low-key '60s soul trio vibe of
Medeski, Martin & Wood and the uptempo, fiery swagger of
Maceo Parker,
Party Hats is a soulful, good-time album that should please fans of both blues-oriented funk and post-bop improvisation. Joining
Bernard here is a stellar backing ensemble of longtime cohorts, including tenor saxophonist
Peter Apfelbaum, Hammond organist
Wil Blades, drummers Jan Jackson and Paul Spina, and others. Interestingly,
Bernard has struck a nice balance between tight
James Brown-esque horn section moments and more open-ended improvisational moments. To these ends, tracks like the expansive and propulsive "Ripple Sole," the '70s-influenced blaxploitation slow burner "Chin Up," and the acid country-jazz of "Newbie" make for both obscenely funky background music and intellectually engaging jazz head trips. This CD was nominated for a Grammy award in 2007 for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. ~ Matt Collar