The City Champs - The Safecracker & The Set-Up (2009/2010)

The City Champs are the latest in a long lineage of Memphis musicians to grab the mantle of funky, soul-jazz instrumentals pioneered by acts like Booker T & the MGs, Willie Mitchell and The Bar-Kays.

The Safecracker features 7 prime cuts of Stax, Hi Records and Blue Note inspired soul-jazz and funk, produced and engineered by Memphis producer and film composer, Scott Bomar (the Bo-Keys, Hustle & Flow & Soul Men ) at his Electraphonic Recording studio. The sessions were tracked and mixed entirely on analog tape Bomar used his Scully 1 8-track machine, which was the same model used at Stax,Muscle Shoals Sound, and Chip s Moman s American Studio.

The City Champs are led by guitarist, Joe Restivo, who also penned the original material on the album. Joe is one of the premier R&B/Jazz guitarists in Memphis and holds a BFA in Jazz Studies from the prestigious New School in New York City, where he studied with jazz greats Jack Wilkins, Junior Mance, Cecil Bridgewater, and Phil Markowitz.

Organist Al Gamble, hails from the Muscle Shoals, Alabama region, and has performed live and on recordings with such notables as Rufus Thomas, Syl Johnson, Alex Chilton, and the Memphis Horns.

Drummer George Sluppick is a native Memphian who has spent most of his life on the road performing live and recording with may notables, including Albert King, Robert Walter's 20th Congress, Melvin Sparks, Ruthie Foster and JJ Grey and MOFRO.

Mastered straight off analog tapes, directly to disc by mastering engineer Larry Nix on the same equipment he used daily at Stax Records.

So why do I like this record? What's so great about the City Champs, anyhow? Well, I don t much care for your tone, but let me answer by asking you this: what s so great about a paper plate full of barbecue and a cold beer, hanging out on the front porch at the house party cause there s too damn many people in there? What s so right about a fine chick catching you checking her out and smiling at you anyway? What s so cool about finding a funky little joint with thick smoke, dim light, and greasy, soulful sounds spilling out the open front door at two in the morning? If you gotta ask, you ll never know. If you know already, don t waste time running down the runner-ups. Get with the City Champs. If this doesn't fix you, you re busted. --Charlie Wood (Memphis songwriter, keyboard player, curmudgeon)

Memphis soul/jazz organ trio The City Champs return to Memphis Electraphonic Recording studio for the follow up to their acclaimed debut album, The Safecracker. The Set-Up finds the group stretching out, adding Latin jazz, psychedelia and 60 s film score influences to their established Booker T. and the MGs meets Blue Note/Prestige Records sound.

The City Champs are comprised of three of Memphis top musicians: Guitarist Joe Restivo, organist Al Gamble and drummer George Sluppick. Their resumes include studio recordings and live dates with artists such as Rufus Thomas, Alex Chilton, JJ Grey and MOFRO, William Bell, Syl Johnson and the Memphis Horns.

Augmenting the City Champs trio sound on The Set-Up is renowned Motown Funk Brother Jack Ashford on tambourine (who was featured in the award winning documentary, Standing in the Shadows of Motown), The Bo-Keys horn men (Marc Franklin, Jim Spake and Kirk Smothers), Latin percussionist Felix Hernandez and Bo-Keys bassist and The Set-Up's producer, Scott Bomar, who most recently produced Cyndi Lauper's Memphis Blues.

The album's highlights include the title track, The Set-Up which features nice call and response musical interplay between guitarist Restivo, organist Gamble and the propulsive solid, funky drumming which is drummer Sluppick s trademark. The overall result encapsulates the Champs sound: Think The Meters and Booker T. playing a 60s film theme on a session at Rudy Van Gelder s studio for a Blue Note or Prestige Records release.

Ricky's Rantfeatures a strong, haunting melodic theme and a razor sharp performance from the group, best demonstrating how the group has evolved in the instrumental idiom, building upon classic influences and creating music which is contemporary, modern and fresh.

The tracks Crump St. and Local Jones play like classic Stax/Hi Records/American Studios sides and showcase their Memphis roots, adding a tasteful dash of horns arranged by The Bo-Keys horn section leader, Marc Franklin.

The Champs take on RJD2's track A Beautiful Mine, (well known as the theme song to the popular AMC show Mad Men), bringing a 60s Latin Jazz/Boogaloo arrangement to the tune that represents its most dance floor worthy interpretation yet.

Drippy, Rigamarole and Break It Upare snapshots of the group s early career, playing after hours in the Memphis nautical-themed nightclub, The Buccaneer. These tracks come from a 60s Soul/Jazz, Jack McDuff, Willis Gator Tail Jackson, Jimmy McGriff bag and will feel very familiar with fans of their first album, The Safecracker.

Since the release of their first album, the group has toured the US with The North Mississippi Allstars and performed shows with bassist Robert Mecurio from Galactic. The group has also had their music prominently featured in the Emmy Award winning documentary, I Am a Man: From Memphis a Lesson in Life and the MTV series, $5 Cover.