Feel The Spirit
Color Red, 2023
8/10
The Madrid resident Lucas de Mulder knows his way around a guitar, and here with Simon Allen and Joe Tatton of The New Mastersounds fame, plus others, he tips his hat to Grant Green with these funk fueled 12 tracks.
“Ginger Beat” opens the listen with scrappy drums and fluid, meticulous guitar lines from de Mulder, as jazz and soul come together superbly, and “Come Out At Night” follows with a calming, cinematic quality that radiates warmth.
In the middle, the cautious “Keep Walking” uses Nate Edgar’s skilled bass with excellent results alongside de Mulder’s cozy guitar, while the powerful “Say Goodbye”, the album’s best, is full of swift energy and dance friendly ideas.
Landing near the end, the intimate “Redbone” puts a fresh coat of paint on the Childish Gambino cover, and “Underground Dance” exits with the dynamic rhythm section complementing de Mulder’s very memorable guitar playing in a stylish, timeless fashion.
Also in attendance is Chris Spies (keyboards), Jeremy Salken (drums), Gabriel Mervine (trumpet) and Alejandro Castaño (drums), who all contribute much to this focused, animated and imaginative tribute to Green’s inestimable legacy.
Travels well with: Alex Dunn- Southern Star; The New Mastersounds- The Deplar Effect