The inimitable HERBALISER band give a new session of live studio recordings, drawn from 6 albums of material – from the underground beats and breaks of their 1997 album Blow Your Headphones to the more lush, soulful grooves of Same As It Never Was. It is another Herbaliser classic, the sound of an ever-evolving band at the peak of their powers. Forget the old Hollywood rule: sometimes a sequel can be just as good as the original. Killer jams!
Review:
This limited-edition release collects the Herbaliser Band's 2000 and
2009 full-fledged instrumental band re-creations of their more electronic and
beat-heavy studio albums. And it's a seriously cool and funky trip from start
to finish across two discs. In place of samples and synth grooves, there are
horns, live percussion, and deep bass guitars, with some scratching thrown in
for good measure. If the original albums leaned toward hip-hop, these
reinterpretations come across as buzzed-out jazz scores for some imaginary spy
films. Indeed, a case could be made that Ollie Teeba and Jake Wherry are more
accomplished jazzy artisans than hip-hoppers. Session 2 sees an increase in
dynamism and ability, as they've only grown in their ability to translate their
earlier works into the big-band realm. As invigorating and breathless as the
film scores of Quincy Jones and John Barry, these sessions pay great respect to
the past, while Teeba and Wherry make a case that the book shouldn't be closed
on cinematic jazz grooves. Stellar.
All Music Guide – Tim DiGravina