Euforquestra’s New Album, “Fire” [review]
Funky, worldly and highly danceable, Euforquestra is definitely on Fire
By Nate Leichtman
April 22, 2015
The bands that first pulled me into the jam scene were Soulive, John Scofield and Lettuce – bands with a deeply funky and positive feel that had both the chops to dazzle a listener and the musicianship to keep you grooving.
Euforquestra – now on their fourth studio album, Fire – have shown that they can hold their own alongside any of the artists in this genre.
They've made an album full of fun, danceable, "Sunday afternoon" funk with A-list musicianship that is evident from the first note. Producer Kyle Hollingsworth (String Cheese Incident) has helped craft an album that lets the musicians showcase their talent to its fullest without losing the poignancy or conciseness of the arrangements.
The rhythm section is possibly one of the tightest in Denver and the horns stretch out just enough to dazzle while still adding to the tracks as a whole. Guest artists Gabe Mervine and Kim Dawson (The Motet) fit seamlessly into Euforquestra's tight sound, but the highlight is Matt Wright's B3 organ playing which sonically ties the arrangements together and adds a sense of drama and movement that is often missing from this type of music.
Fire is a rock-solid and technically stunning album that is every bit worthy of Soulive, The Greyboy Allstars or Fela Kuti and, even more important, it's the kind of release that makes you want to see the band live.