Organissimo - Groovadelphia

Groovadelphia, Organissimo\'s first new CD since 2005\'s This Is The Place finds the band deftly refining their signature sound while simultaneously stretching the tradition of the organ-based trio. Featuring eight original songs plus another penned by drummer Randy Marsh\'s father (acclaimed tenor saxophonist Arno Marsh), the new CD opens with the title track Groovadelphia, a tribute to the City of Brotherly Love and Organissimo\'s second home on the East Coast. From there things stay deceptively traditional with the spicey samba of Señor Buffet and the danceable blues shuffle of Third Right On The Left. Just when things get comfortable, however, Organissimo shifts direction with the lilting Traces, showcasing Joe Gloss\' delicate touch on nylon stringed acoustic guitar. Jim Alfredson adds layers of subtle, evolving colors from a combination of Hammond organ and synthesizer. From there the journey leads to Danco De Alma, the undisputed centerpiece of the record, which begins with a duet of guitar and Fender Rhodes. Randy enters, pulling from his deep well of Latin rhythms to support a pulsing bass line and revolving chords. It soon becomes apparent that Organissimo\'s tight ensemble interplay has never been stronger, as guitar and organ solos seem to emerge and recede at will, blurring the line between composition and improvisation. The journey comes to an end with an intense flourish of guitar, Moog, Hammond, and drums. Solo organ introduces the poignant If Not Now, When?, a beautiful jazz-gospel testament. Bleecker returns to the funky side of town just before we get a taste of home with My Sweet Potato Pie. The album ends with a solo improvisation by Alfredson on Rhodesia. \'...it\'s a beautiful record, a big advance over the previous two... Everything is so knit together, musically and as a recording job, and every track has several levels (at least) working at once -- hooks (or near hooks), rhythmic, timbral, and harmonic subtleties, etc. [Jim Alfredson is] a genius at registration... Joe is so damn hip but always in there, never flashy, and Randy is always thinking and feeling and sensing, always right.\' ~ Larry Kart, esteemed jazz critic and former writer for Downbeat With beautiful photographic imagery by local Lansing artist Jim Colando, Groovadelphia looks as impressive as it sounds! Recorded over the course of 6 days at Jim Alfredson\'s home studio and mixed and mastered by the brilliant ears of Glenn Brown using a combination of state of the art analog and digital techniques, Groovadelphia is nothing short of a milestone for Organissimo.

1) Groovadelphia
2) Seã±Or Buffet
3) Third Right on the Left
4) Traces
5) Danco de Alma
6) If Not Now When?
7) Bleecker
8) My Sweet Potato Pie - Organissimo Marsh a
9) Rhodesia