Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Greyboy: Soul Mosaic: A Case Study in Beats, Soul and Funk

199

Greyboy: Soul Mosaic: A Case Study in Beats, Soul and Funk

By

Sign in to view read count
Greyboy: Soul Mosaic: A Case Study in Beats, Soul and Funk
The first set in three years from Southern California’s premier producer/DJ Andreas Stevens marks a decade since his Freestylin’ debut helped establish acid jazz as a modern musical force.

Soul Mosaic settles Greyboy nicely into the niche he helped create. Its instrumental tracks whack back to the retro-'70s soundtrack feel of his previous Mastered the Art set, and the tracks with vocals are truly songs and not just instrumental tracks with vocals. Bart Davenport sings on two possible singles, an update of Stevie Wonder’s “To Know You is to Love You” and “Genevieve,” nominated for “Track of the Year” by the BBC Radio1 “Worldwide” show.

UK producer Quantic (Will Holland) delivers a smokin’ bonus remix of “Genevieve,” nudging it from Greyboy toward the more European hip-hopster Guru, and he guests with (US) East Coast vocalist Sharon Jones on “Got To Be A Love”; Jones also scorches “Got To Stand For Something,” while Paul Nice remodels “Got To Be A Love” as another bonus remix. Miss Jones’ vocals bubble with just the right blend of sweet, sassy, soulful and sexy—the hip-hop Chaka Khan.

A skeletal yet throbbing rhythm track supports Davenport’s strong “Genevieve” vocal, and its falsetto bridge dusted with acoustic guitar creates a Curtis Mayfield old-school soul sound that Bing Ji Ling echoes in “So Good” later in the set—an unique blend of futuristic (techno) funk and retro soul. The harmonica solo, once a “Little Stevie” trademark, helps Davenport nail down the composer’s sound on the Wonder cover, as does the instrumental track that glides like a speed skater across sleek ice.

Greyboy still delivers state-of-the-art instrumental jams, serving beats chopped and looped with D-Styles and Ricci Rucker in “Son Ray,” “Omega” (cut from the same 1970s sci-fi soundtrack cloth as “Logan’s Run” from Mastered the Art ), and the most beat funkiest “Big Tito.”

Track Listing

Genevieve; Son-Ray; Bronson; See My Eyes; Omega; To Know You Is To Love You; Awright; So Good; Got To Be A Love; Big Tito; Loggia; Make Music; Gotta Stand For Something; Everyday Problem; Genevieve (Quantic remix); Got To Be A Love (Paul Nice remix)

Personnel

Greyboy with Bart Davenport, D-Styles and Ricci Rucker, Mainflo, Quantic, and Sharon Jones

Album information

Title: Soul Mosaic: A Case Study in Beats, Soul and Funk | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Ubiquity Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.