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Producer Aaron Levinson and Ropeadope Records founder Andy Hurwitz return with another genre-bending musical tribute to a specific cultural breeding ground. But unlike Philadelphia Experiment and Detroit Experiment, this one spotlights a single neighborhood, Harlem, one of the most artistically fertile areas in the country. Structured as an imaginary AM radio transmission, “hosted” by Harlem DJ muMs—and featuring a talented house band—Harlem Experiment weaves an aural tapestry of funk, blues, jazz, salsa, hip-hop and beyond.
After a brief introduction, “One for Jackie” sets the tone with a laid-back groove overlaid with sparse keys and horns. The stripped-down funk of “Rigor Mortis,” an old Cameo tune, rolls along nicely without vocals or the disco ornamentation of the original. The always-welcome Taj Mahal offers his take on Cab Calloway’s “Reefer Man,” which here assumes a more Latin flavor—a motif that also colors the guitar-driven, loose-limbed Benny Goodman classic, “Mambo a la Savoy.” The Yiddish swing of “Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen” demonstrates the prodigious abilities of Don Byron on clarinet, and “Harlem River Drive,” a smoky, atmospheric Eddie Palmieri song, features the warbling trumpet of Sex Mob founder Steve Bernstein.
The standout track is probably “It’s Just Begun,” from Jimmy Castor and the Castor Bunch. This version, augmented with hip-hop scratching, is extremely funky in the late-’70s, keys-heavy, Herbie Hancock style. The album closes with the intimate “Walking Through Harlem,” featuring free-jazz pioneer Olu Dara (incidentally, hip-hop star Nas’s father) on guitar and vocals.
For fans of Harlem-based music, and anyone interested in genre cross-pollination, you can’t go wrong with Harlem Experiment. Given the possibilities—New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Memphis, San Francisco, Seattle, etc.—let’s hope Ropeadope continues their experimental journey across the country.
