
I've wondered about their staying power and ability to emerge from behind the long shadow of Fela Kuti and assert a fresher, more developed sound. At their album-release party (for Security) at the Warsaw in Brooklyn on March 10th, all doubts were laid to rest.
As always, Benevento ranged across the keys, exploring melodies, harmonies and healthy doses of dissonance with equal skill and abandon. In the middle, Mathis anchored the sound, keeping the pace as Benevento and Dillon jockeyed for position. A consummate bass player and musician, Mathis served as the glue for the shape-shifting drums and keys.