Jay Wrestles the Bari Constrictor, Pt. 1 - Groove Collective,
Loisaida - Groove Collective, Clay, Gordon "Nappy
Lift Off - Groove Collective, Maron, Jonathan
Everybody (We the People) - Groove Collective, Clay, Gord
Fly - Groove Collective, Maron, Jonathan
Sneaky - Groove Collective, Maron, Jonathan
I Am - Groove Collective, Clay, Gordon "Nappy
Caterpillar - Groove Collective, Maron, Jonathan
Hide It - Groove Collective, Ware, Bill [1]
Anthem - Groove Collective, Maron, Jonathan
Sedate - Groove Collective, Roseman, Josh
Jay Wrestles the Bari Constrictor, Pt. 2/Nightwaves - Groove Collective, Groove Collective
The Brooklyn-based Groove Collective deserves to be at the forefront of acid-jazz, that indefinable genre that here mixes postbop improvisation into a cauldron of emphatic rhythms, all the while avoiding the bland surfaces... more » and mechanical production that usually develop when jazz gets this close to pop. We the People features heavy, danceable grooves that combine pulsing bass lines with dense but bright Latin percussion, surmounting it all with thick riffs from the horns. It's a group blessed with real improvisational skills, particularly those of saxophonist Jay Rodriguez and flutist Richard Worth, and it's fascinating to hear how far outside they can get while the band keeps pulsing. It's a heady mix that suggests Tito Puente, Parliament, and Herbie Hancock's Headhunters, but Groove Collective emerges with its own identity. --Stuart Broomer« less
The Brooklyn-based Groove Collective deserves to be at the forefront of acid-jazz, that indefinable genre that here mixes postbop improvisation into a cauldron of emphatic rhythms, all the while avoiding the bland surfaces and mechanical production that usually develop when jazz gets this close to pop. We the People features heavy, danceable grooves that combine pulsing bass lines with dense but bright Latin percussion, surmounting it all with thick riffs from the horns. It's a group blessed with real improvisational skills, particularly those of saxophonist Jay Rodriguez and flutist Richard Worth, and it's fascinating to hear how far outside they can get while the band keeps pulsing. It's a heady mix that suggests Tito Puente, Parliament, and Herbie Hancock's Headhunters, but Groove Collective emerges with its own identity. --Stuart Broomer
"I love funk, acid-jazz, acid-funk and jazz. I am a musician and can be very picky about my funky/jazz music. This album is one of my favorites. If your a horn lover and you like Jamiroquai, the Brand New Heavies or just love a funky groovy sound that is not sampled... this is a must hear.
You have great guitar, horns, drums, flute and bass.
These guys know how to make great music for the acid-jazz/funk lovers and they WILL make you feel good."
One of the 5 CDs you always keep in your rotation
Drew | 08/09/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've been seeing GC for years, and you'll never capture the fatness of their sound on CD as well as you can live. But We The People comes pretty damn close. This is a great album to party or get loose to, and on top of that, Fly is one of the most inspired songs ever written. I think the GC combine styles and sounds better than anyone doing acid/fusion/latin/whatever/jazz today. Check out Declassified, Dance of the Drunken Master, and their first album too. And definitely catch a show."
Going on a Road Trip??
Drew | 07/22/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD has such great sounds and such good feel. If you ever get a chance to see these guys, please do! One of the most talented bands that I have listened to/seen in a really long time! Excellent treat out of New York. Check out Fat Mama, Liquid Soul, and Imperial Dub if you like this!"
Groove Collective was the best band of the 90's
gsbe | Nashville | 10/04/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I keep coming back to this amazing group of musicians. Every album reveals a new side of Groove Collective. Dance of a Drunken Master especially deserves heavy attention. The electronic sounds might be annoying at first to jazz heads but focus on the contrast of these tunes (like St. Gallen or Tangenziale) versus the mellower ones (dig Fabio's fantastic trumpet on Floating or the entire World Bank).
Groove Collective is always able to stir up just the right mix of styles and sound effortlessly fresh while doing it. Fly comes to mind from the "We The People" album mixing smooth R&B funk with Afro-Cuban patterned mayhem. They continue to get away with these musical melanges here: Que te pasa'ti (combining a style that I consider their own with piano-driven montuno salsa), Tangenziale (riff GC funk with drumnbass), and World Bank (classical harpsicord with jam-band explosives). I never get enough of the collective styles that emerge from this group.
I highly recommend buying at least the first 3 GC albums. I consider them to be among the best recordings of the '90s:
1 - Groove Collective (1993)
2 - We The People (1996)
3 - Dance of the Drunken Master (1998)"
Funky NYC grooves
gsbe | 07/13/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Groove Collective has done it once again. A truely funky acid jazz/jazz mix with some hip-hop vocals thrown in. Always a great live show, this album has captured the spirit and soul of the wold-reknowned band hailing from Brooklyn, NY.Track 4, the title track is PHENOMINAL, and even better live in the small intimate jazz venues of Manhattan!Also check out "The Groove Collective" and "Dance of the Drunken Master", both are truely excellent as well.Get this CD, and keep groovin'!"