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The new supergroup Something Else! brings together a superb septet that matches impeccable virtuosity with a bottomless feel for this music. Spearheaded by alto saxophone great Vincent Herring, the band’s debut release Soul Jazz features trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, guitarist Paul Bollenback, pianist David Kikoski, bassist Essiet Essiet, and drummer Otis Brown III.
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The approach to jazz that these stellar musicians take always comes with its fair share of soul, no matter the stylistic twists and turns it may take. But with Something Else! they place the soul firmly the spotlight, refreshing this classic material with a thrilling, vibrant joy that is electrifying conveyed directly into the listener’s body. Soul Jazz comes with an unspoken challenge not to move.
“This project represents the music that we love, music that just feels great,” Herring says. “Everybody in the band grew up on soul jazz, where the feeling was paramount. The music of the day was soul and R&B – that’s what my parents played on the stereo when they were in the car or when they would have gatherings. So, I think it’s a feeling that we were all craving in our own music.”
It’s hard to imagine that this session won’t enlighten listeners, even those well-versed in the soul jazz genre that grew out of hard bop in the mid-1950s, as the influence of the era’s R&B and soul hitmakers infused the music with a funky, raucous groove. Something Else! not only stocks the date with some of the prime examples of the genre’s music but attacks these songs with a vigor and passion that breathes dynamic new life into an already lively style.
