Product Description
“The sound is lean, but there’s also this sort of majesty in the music. The approach is a bit hard to describe, but it grabs you right away, and makes you know you’re listening to something that’s really a cut above.” – Dusty Groove
At nine members strong, San Diego instrumental band The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble brings the party every time they play – or more precisely, the introspective party. As aptly referred to by bandleader and keyboardist Tim Felten, SFSE plays “introspective party music,” a tasty cocktail of breakbeat funk and jazz stirred with soulful cinematic stylings and sun-splashed coastal grooves. The richly arranged horns, deep-pocket rhythms, and retro-gritty keyboard sounds make you move, make you think. It’s evocative, memorable stuff – evidenced by their rousing live shows and their last two albums debuting near the top of Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Chart.
On their new featured album “Gemini,” the band gets literal: In Latin, Gemini denotes “twins” (jazz-funk) and astrologically, Gemini folks are curious and versatile. So building on their jazz-funk foundation, the players spread their wings and soar to new sonic heights. Favorite tracks are many, including the head-bopping opener, “Makin’ Moves;” the hip-hop-fueled “Don’t Trip;” “Mother Earth,” with its blissful, fluttering flute; the percussive kick and modal vibe of “Corporatocracy;” and “Freddie,” which beautifully evokes the spirit of the legendary Mr. Hubbard. Start to finish, on disc or on stage, this is a party that shouldn’t be missed.
