Bad Rep In The Rubber City
Self-Released, 2025
8/10
The Cleveland fusion supergroup Matthew Alec And The Soul Electric are already making a name for themselves in their hometown, and these new 9 songs expand on their jazz, pop and funk hybrid via mostly live recordings.
Alec’s rich tenor sax opens the disc with “Blue Train”, where Minus The Alien adds vocals and Greg Banaszak’s alto sax won’t go unnoticed, and “Quantum Entanglement” follows with dueling saxes that radiate tremendous interplay.
Moving into the middle, “Gravity” features Brian Woods warm piano and soulful singing alongside Jared Lees’ fluid bass, while “Bambu” offers an energetic moment via Miguel Tarin Torres’ funky bass lines and Jeremiah ‘The Franchise’ Hawkins’ acrobatic drumming.
Arriving near the end, the dance floor ready “Whinin’ Boy Moan” recruits Steven Forrest Sanders’ animated guitar licks and vocals that suit the lively saxophones, and “Thinking Out Loud” exits with a dreamy ambience thanks to the rich sax and Brian Randall’s cozy percussion.
This is the 4th album from the outfit, and the live tracks sound just as meticulous as the 2 studio selections, where hip-hip, Big Band and plenty of old school nods enter the fusion fun.
Travels well with: The Chris Parker Quintet- Heart Of Mine; Elijah Rock- Memories Unleashed- Impulse 1