[rating=7.00]
The one man jam band (and constant record releaser) Keller Williams has teamed up with some friends for yet another project titled Sync under the group name KWahtro (Confused? Sound it out.) The three other band members this go around come from different backgrounds with Danton Boller adding jazz flourishes on bass, frequent Williams collaborator Gib Droll on guitar and the drum work of Rodney Holmes who has worked with Santana, Steve Kimock and more. The trio successfully move Williams towards a more jazz oriented sound than bluegrass, jam rock or the acoustic dance music he has made his career on.
The musicianship is high while the overall tone is light and airy. Fans of KW will jump into this new project with both feet as tracks like the reggae/ganja tinged “Cheaper by the Bale” and the jamband closer “Running on Fumes” set things in motion while the grooving “In The Middle” will also scratch an itch. “Hategreedlove” is a surprise as the song builds with violin strings and a soaring distant electric guitar before some really out there lyrics from Williams corroded the finale with gore.
Williams has always been the Sierra Nevada and weed toke to G. Love and Special Sauce’s Budweiser and Henessy back; Williams singing/lyrics are usually the point where fans are either drawn to him or walk away. The original Freeker By The Speaker and Porta Potty Romeo continues on with these “think-it, say-it songs”, that range from silly/cute to utterly pointless/vapid. Opener “Ripped 6-Pack” succeeds with equating working out to a heavy mind directly while “BabyMama” becomes an easy rolling get away song for new bland hippie parents. “Missing Remote takes this to the breaking point though with stream of conscious lyrics that admit their own frivolity, however behind the vocals the group explore exciting patterns, tempos and tones with some of the best music on the disk.
All the instrumentation, from KW’s acoustic strums to Boller’s bopping, Droll’s small touches and especially Holmes key percussion, are expertly presented. When guest Mike Dillon joins for funky jazz instrumental “Watchoowantgurl” the professionalism and fluidity reminds of the most organic Zappa jams. Who knows if this will be an ongoing project for Williams as he is involved in so many (Keller and The Keels, The Keller Williams Incident, WMD’s, The Rhythm Devils and his constant solo albums) but if it is, a solid foundation of acoustic acid jazz has been laid down via Sync.
