Ensemble

On Kneebody's website, the bio for the Grammy-nominated, jazz-rock quintet is understandably vague: trying to summarize their music in one neat sentence (or paragraph) is no easy task. What I can tell you, is this:

• They released their first album in 2005 on Dave Douglas' Greenleaf Music label
• Their 2009 release, with Theo Bleckmann singing music composed and inspired by Charles Ives, earned the group a Grammy nomination
• Trumpeter Shane Endsley has been named one of the Top 25 trumpeters of his generation by Downbeat Magazine

I joined the Tower of Power party late. I had heard about them for years, but for whatever reason hadn't checked them out. Once I did, I was hooked. Their high-energy funk, soul and R&B recordings were impossible to resist. When I finally saw them live in Detroit in 2010, I was floored - they sounded even better in person.

The short answer is this: Spectrum Road is an all-star quartet assembled to celebrate and pay tribute to the music of The Tony Williams Lifetime. The Lifetime, assembled by legendary drummer Tony Williams in 1969, performed a unique blend of jazz, rock and funk, and also traveled into the free jazz world heard on many recordings of that era.

And now, a bit more context.

The Soul Rebels Brass Band is the real deal. When they talk about carrying on the marching band and New Orleans Brass Band traditions, they mean it - each of the eight members was born in New Orleans, and each spent years training in high school, university and professional marching and brass bands. So when they get on stage, they bring the choreography, calibre and energy of the best brass bands around. Check out this teaser:

Before we begin, I must reveal my bias. I'm a trumpet player. And so any other trumpet player with outstanding sound and technique is going to rank fairly high on my list. But that's not all that's good about Roy Hargrove...