Search - James Hardway :: Straight From the Fridge

Crazy jazzy drum-n-bass

drew@rmta.org | Detroit | 06/29/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"No one else makes music quite like James Hardway. He has a knack for fusing sounds perfectly, mixing the old-school jazz styles with the updated rhythm of drum-n-bass. This album features three guest vocalists: JB Rose, a smooth and soulful female singer; Ghetto Priest, who adds an amazing Jamaican-style chat to "Jump Up Natural;" and Floyd Batts, who apparently recorded a blues song at Mississippi State Penitentiary in the fifties. This recording became the basis for "Dangerblue," a ghostly yet danceable track.Like most drum-n-bass, Hardway's rhythms rise and fall, reaching a frantic pace at certain moments, then backing off. He adds to this the sound of live instruments, horns, upright bass, and flute, to complete the journey.The one setback to this album is the inclusion of a few atmospheric tracks that segue from one song to the next. These tracks don't contain vocals or drums, and in my opinion, they impede the progress of the album more than they help to make a transition from one song to the next. Still, this album is definitely worth it for "Going Home," "Jump Up Natural" and "Can't Show Love.""