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Like their left coast cousins The Greyboy Allstars, Lettuce is something of a modern urban musical myth. Formed in the 90’s out of common experience and taste, members of the band went out on individual projects—Soulive, Scofield and solo—before coalescing once again into a powerful funk collective.
Rage! finds the influences of the Impressions, James Brown and Tower of Power coursing through music that never once falls prey to sounding merely imitative. Instead of merely aping what they so obviously love, Lettuce has processed their roots in vigorous ensemble musicianship, and that practice includes assimilating the great craft of the Philly soul team of Gamble and Huff in addition to Earth, Wind & Fire.
The septet’s knowledge of structure allows the vocal tracks on the CD, like "Move On Up," to remain with the best of the instrumentals here, lesser though they are in comparison. On "Sam Huff’s Flying Raging Machine," the Lettuce rhythm section pumps below the horns of Ryan Zoidis, Rashawn Ross and Sam Kininger and those wind instruments in turn soar and soothe throughout the album.
Lettuce reminds us just how much ground they’re capable of covering between the exalting likes of the opener, "Blast Off," and the down and dirty "Speak E.Z." The group’s ostensible soloists, guitarist Eric Krasno and keyboardist Neal Evans, remain virtually unobtrusive throughout, yet clearly further the momentum of such tracks as much as the indomitable drummer Adam Deitch.
The practical experience of Lettuce’ history together and apart allows the band to restore the human factor to a music too often rendered mechanically. That’s why Rage! is as potent as its title suggests and the band equally powerful.
