Album Review: Get Down (Soulive)

This review was excerpted and published by The All Music Guide: see the review on their site.

getdown Artist: Soulive
Album Title: Get Down
Label: Soulive recordings
Catalog Number: SLR 10012
Release Date: Spring 1999
Rating: 4/5

The organ? Oh yes, there’s love for the organ! Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Johnny Hammond, and John Patton have all been at the core of some of the legendary organ groups in the history of jazz. Well, it’s time for the history books to make room for another group of truly talented musicians focused around that wonderful, warm, and expressive instrument: the organ.

Soulive is considered an organ trio with Neal Evans playing the Hammond B3 (usually through the miraculous and luscious Leslie Speaker Cabinet), his brother Alan Evans on the drums, and compatriot Eric Krasno on the electric guitar. Get Down is Soulive’s introductory EP effort and was recorded on March 2nd and 3rd of 1999 at the Soulive Studios in New York City.

The group happens to be based out of Vermont, but travels and plays so extensively around the country that they hesitate to identify themselves with any one particular geographic location. There’s lots to say about Soulive; a lot of it is evident upon hearing the five selections featured on Get Down, the rest of it comes to mind when seeing these cats up close and in person. Not content with simply invoking musical themes similar to those created in part by the originators mentioned above, Soulive (with their black suits, crowd interaction, and otherwise straight-up cool appearance), can take you back to the hey-day of jazz when it was all about “the sound, man, dig the sound.” For these cats can really play and have achieved a balance amongst themselves that makes it a stretch to call this an organ trio – it’s just a hot trio. And while it is easy to say that this trio produces a sound similar to that heard from a Jimmy Smith or a John Patton, they feature a modern sound rooted in Hip-Hop that none of the above legends could logistically claim.

The sound is not so Hip-Hop that you would confuse them with a group like The Roots, but Alan Evans’ drum performance pulls in so many Hip-Hop breaks that it’s an unavoidable facet of the group. Eric Krasno’s strumming has often been likened to George Benson, which is accurate to this listener. However, to his credit, Krasno brings a little something different to the table. It may be best described as an intensity and raw energy that seems to have evolved from a rock music background. Whatever it is, it works! Although the weight of the group is mote or less evenly split amongst each of the members, it would be impossible to ignore the concentration of talent that flows from the fingers of Neal Evans as he plays the Hammond B3 organ. Not only is he providing the bass parts for the songs with the low register of the organ, but he’s also playing the keyboard melodies – and playing is an understatement because this guy can PLAY! The wonderful thing is each of these guys can play. They are sure to have a long career ahead of themselves.

In the first song on Get Down, “So Live,” the listener bears witness to just how live this trio is. All three members had a hand in composing this title. During the choruses, Krasno and Neal Evans play note for note and create a light, funky, and enjoyable sound. The bridge of this song is what really draws you in as the organ sings in fresh minor sounds and Krasno spills out a precise solo that – in combination – add another dimension to the selection. The guitar solo is followed by an organ solo which at its apex makes use of a pedal tone held down while Neal Evans runs through the notes of his blues scale like nobody’s business. The listener quickly learns to appreciate this organ pedal tone and the musical suspense that the sustained note creates.

“Uncle Junior” follows and is centered around the lines of the guitar in a decidedly “retro” sounding tune written by the group’s drummer Alan Evans. The theme of “Cash’s Dream,” written by Krasno and [non-group member] Nick Kaspen is played out quite nicely by Krasno and Evans in unison on the guitar and organ. The sound of ‘Rudy’s Way,” written by Neal Evans is very unique because of the main drum rhythm which is in 4 parts (each a quarter note) with a strong accent on the third beat. This gives the song a sort of limp, or more accurately a jazzy bop. There’s even a break in the song when they give the drummer some!

“Turn It Out,” the last and strongest of the songs on this EP was written by all three group members and starts of with gentle, airy strokes from Krasno’s guitar which, after a short fill from Al Evans on the drums, becomes a refrain for a very funky tune! Again, Krasno and Neal Evans share the same notes on their instruments (a noted weakness in compositional construction only because they use the technique often). Neal Evans really shines in this track as he tells you through his organ solo how the crew of Soulive is pro at turnin’ it out! There is a break in the song led by Al Evans’ tight drumming that evolves the direction of the song and gives some room to Eric Krasno and his guitar solo which does not disappoint.

Overall a strong album that whets your appetite for more Soulive. It would have been nice if during the mixing or recording of this album, the drums were given more prominence.