Search - Down to the Bone :: Spread the Word (Reis)

Solid third album, but not as good as the first two

J. Smith | Virginia | 04/21/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After two outstanding albums to start their discography, Down to the Bone slipped a little with Album III: Spread the Word. The vibe is still as funky as anything in mainstream contemporary jazz, but it started feeling a tad tired on this album.



In some ways this album is less than the sum of its parts. Although a number of tracks are interesting listening individually, this is a difficult album to listen to straight through and lacks any particularly memorable songs.



Downtown Shuffle features a great piano solo and Soul Brother No. 1 features some great percussion work (although it gets a little monotonous at times). Sound As A Pound is slightly underwhelming, but all other tracks are worth listening to at least once.



As with many other Down to the Bone albums, the songs on this album tend to get a bit too repetitive and drag on 1-2 minutes too long at times. That said, the sound on this album is closer to that of the original two albums than any of the groups other subsequent releases, so if you simply can't get enough of that early Down to the Bone sound, then you'll want this one in your collection. Otherwise, skip this one and try the group's fourth release, Crazy Vibes and Things, instead.



This Review Copyright 2010 by J. Smith."