In the increasingly crowded field where jazzy funk, jam, and hip-hop bands meet, the Richmond, VA-based Butcher Brown may well be the most eclectic of the bunch, and unequivocally the most generous based on the numerous guests that grace their latest, Solar Music. The title itself is meant to be ‘music for everybody’ and these 17 tracks come close to ‘music played by everybody’ too.
Sharing with so many others may be overkill and clearly moves the album toward hip-hop as the band mostly sublimates its jazzy side, but talented artists such as Charlie Hunter, Keyon Harrold, Braxton Cook, Pink Siifu, Nappy Nina, and others will draw their fair share of attention. The quintet, which began as a group of like-minded musicians out of Virginia Commonwealth University, is now nearing a decade of touring and performing. Versatile frontman Marcus “Tennishu” Tenney sings, raps, and doubles on tenor saxophone and flute. Morgan Burrs is the guitarist and Anthony Randazzo is the bassist and arranger. DJ Harrison on keys and Cory Fonville on drums are also members of Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter’s SuperBlue. These 17 tracks span a fully loaded CD and a 2-LP.
The eclectic journey begins with “Cozumel,” one of eight rendered just by the core quintet. That brief ethereal interlude sets up “Espionage,” with a soundscape certainly befitting a spy thriller with Harrison the first to step out in a whirling organ solo before the featured guest, Hunter, unleashes his Hendrix-like lines. The album’s lead single, “I Can Say to You” features vocalist Vanessa Gould to undulating accompaniment and rap from the lyricist Tenney, who frustratingly urges her to follow her heart. Hip hop artist Jay Prince converses over the insistent beats of Fonville and a frenetic, highly danceable groove in the escape-motivated “MOVE (RIDE).” Rising songwriter and R&B/soul artist Julia Shuren is on the keys for “Turismo” while another single, “Eye Never Knew” has the hip-hop/soul/punk star Pink Siifu and kindred spirit trumpeter Keyon Harrold, who soars with his Miles-like flowing lines above the dense electronics in one of the best-blended jazz/hip-hop tracks. The Afro-beat infused “No Way Around It’ has a relentless, heavy bass-driven groove with Tenny in glorious rapping rhythm, rapid firing lyrics to one point where he repeats “Tell Me what you want” no less than ten times as the core quintet struts its stuff, no guests needed.
The tempo slows for the poetic rapping of Nappy Nina on “Half of It,” with the bass drum laying down yet another infectious groove to take it out. “DYKWYD,“ the drawn-out acronym for “Do You Know What You’re Doing” is saxophonist Braxton Cook following Tenney’s skip-along rap to classic R&B and funk-laden bass and guitar, another prime example of their genre-bending. Tenney’s tenor is out front the R&B-flavored quintet rendered fully instrumental “Happy Hour,” to which Fonville applies his hip-hop beats. Pink Siifu rejoins for “Run It Up” and fellow Richmond native, rapper Michael Millions, the final guest, gets his say on the urbanized rap of “Pink Fur.”
The last five in the sequence are sans guests, highlighted by a reimagining of Roy Ayers’ “This Side of Sunshine,” taken at a slow, swaying pace in keeping with the original late-night soul vibe of the original. “Bubblebath” continues the smoothed-out groove, leading into the profanity-laced conversation of “Touring Pains.” “It Was Me” has a similar Afro-beat foundation as “No Way Around It” with Tenney again holding sway, as effective a rapper as any of the guests. Tenney’s tenor and Burr’s guitar weave in and around Fonville’s persistent rattling in the instrumental closer, “Around For a While” with Harrison summoning the electronic whooshes that bring this party to a joyful conclusion.
Originally pegged as a retro jazz-funk band, Solar Music turns that on its head, as Butcher Brown arguably goes almost too far on the contemporary side. Even without the guests, they veer too far into a rap, hip-hop direction when more of their instrumental, funky jazz would add a stronger balance to the effort.
