Groove Collective - We The People (1996)

In the late '90s, it looked like the concept of "acid jazz" was going to catch on. The idea was to create jazz so funky and rhythmic that it would be danced to in clubs and perhaps even catch on big commercially. Most groups that became involved in acid jazz de-emphasized the jazz in favor of mundane rhythms, going for the potential money at the expense of the music. Groove Collective struck a better balance, keeping the funk going much of the time (when they were not playing Afro-Cuban jazz), but also having some sound explorations and some strong solos. The lineup of musicians featured on We the People includes such notables as trombonist Josh Roseman, trumpeter Fabio Morgera, and vibraphonist Bill Ware III. The problem with We the People, other than the throwaway rap on "I Am," is that none of the pieces is particularly worthy. The playing is stronger than the writing and, while one can enjoy the grooves and some of the more colorful moments, there is nothing about this music that is particularly memorable. It probably worked much better in dance clubs but, even then, if the songs had been more distinctive and catchy, it might have resulted in acid jazz becoming a significant style of music instead of just a nice try. ~ Scott Yanow --