''Urban Mythology Volume One'' is the debut album by American experimental
power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format having a lineup of electric guitar, bass guitar and drum kit (drums and cymbals), leaving out a second rhythm guitar or keyboard instrument that are often used in other rock music bands that are quartet ...
Free Form Funky Frēqs, featuring guitarist
Vernon Reid, bassist
Jamaaladeen Tacuma, and drummer
G. Calvin Weston. It was recorded during the summer of 2007 at Fenix Studios in Staten Island, New York, and was released in 2008 by
Thirsty Ear Recordings
Thirsty Ear Recordings is an American independent record label. It was founded in the late 1970s as a marketing company for the then-unnamed alternative music field, and expanded to issue its own records in 1990.
Thirsty Ear came to prominence ...
.
The album documents the musicians' third meeting, following impromptu live sets at
Tonic in New York City and Philadelphia's Tritone venue, and attempts to capture the energy and spontaneity of their live performances.
Reception
In a review for
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
, Thom Jurek wrote: "this is a wild ride into the unconscious worlds of freakout guitar rock, funk, jazz, and 'other' music... guitar fans will be knocked out; this is one of the hippest, nastiest, most utterly electric six-string music on record... The raw wigged-out soul that this band plays with never ceases to amaze... This is a monster of a record, and if anybody gets to hear it, it will go down as one of those "classics from the underground" sets."
Writing for ''
Jazz Times
''JazzTimes'' is an American magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1970 by Ira Sabin as the newsletter ''Radio Free Jazz'' to complement his record store.
Coverage
After a decade of growth ...
'',
Bill Milkowski
Bill Milkowski (born September 26, 1954) is an American jazz critic, journalist, and biographer. Since the 1970s he has written thousands of articles for magazines and album liner notes.. He has written for '' DownBeat'', ''JazzTimes'', ''Jazziz' ...
stated that the album "is grounded by the solid hookup between Weston's pocket grooves and Tacuma's bright, bouncy electric bass lines. On top of that ultra-funky foundation, Reid basically wails with impunity using an array of outrageous tones and extravagant 21st-century effects, creating waves of swirling psychedelia and 'celestial church music' that would even make Hendrix stand in awe."
Critic Howard Mandel included the album in his list of "2008's Top Recordings," and remarked: "Play it loud."
A reviewer for ''Improvijazzation Nation'' described the album as "HEAVY!", calling it "MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED," and stated: "You've probably not heard 'funk' like this before... you're in the presence of the players of tomorrow's music – they just got here a little early!"
Track listing
All music composed by Vernon Reid, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, and G. Calvin Weston.
# "A Tale Of Two Bridges" – 11:57
# "Don Cheadle" – 5:26
# "Ghost Sign Crossroad" – 7:07
# "Over and Under" – 3:52
# "A Lost Way Found" – 6:26
# "Happy Hour" – 4:17
# "Chump Champ Chunk" – 5:05
# "Get Your Legs On" – 4:25
# "Doing Within" – 4:44
# "Street Corner Prophecy" – 4:39
Personnel
*
Vernon Reid – guitar, guitar synthesizer, laptop
*
Jamaaladeen Tacuma – bass
*
G. Calvin Weston – drums
References
{{Reflist
2008 debut albums
Vernon Reid albums
Jamaaladeen Tacuma albums
Thirsty Ear Recordings albums