BRASS CONSTRUCTION — Brass Construction (review)

BRASS CONSTRUCTION — Brass Construction album cover Album · 1975 · Funk Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
js
By the time 1975 had rolled around, the funk had been around a few years and was starting to go through some stylistic changes. In order to please the dance crowd, the hard syncopations of James Brown were giving way to a steady thump thump thump on the kick drum. This four on the floor approach would eventually become disco, but in 75 disco had not yet taken over the RnB charts. The leaders of this new proto-disco funk style included Parliament, The Ohio Players and Earth Wind and Fire amongst others. Although Brass Construction did not enjoy the lasting fame of those bands, they certainly came on strong with their mid-decade debut LP, also called “Brass Construction”, which yielded two big hits on the RnB charts.

The Construction’s formula for success involved long jams, driven by a steady thumpin kick drum, that would usually open with jazzy horn riffs and minimal vocals before settling into a long groove in which soloists would snake in out of the mix with psychedelic guitars, flutes, synthesizers, clavinets and a myriad of other instruments. Each jam was like a long journey in which changing horn and string riffs would keep things moving along like a scenic train ride. Three of the major tunes on here use that formula, including their big hits, “Movin“ and “Changin“. Elsewhere on this album; “Love” is upbeat old school soul, “Talkin” loses the steady thump for some real funk and “Peekin” is just plain bizarre and tacky with its tale of voyeurism and its crude vocal delivery. “Peekin” might appeal to those looking for novelty weirdness.

If you like classic mid-70s fonk, Brass Construction will not disappoint, they are seriously funky, they have the jazz chops to deliver the solos and their long grooving arrangements are unique to them.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Izumi Kimura / Barry Guy / Gerry Hemingway : Six Hands Open As One Avant-Garde Jazz
IZUMI KIMURA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Raging Bulgakov Avant-Garde Jazz
SIMON NABATOV
Buy this album from MMA partners
New Start Fusion
TOM KENNEDY
Buy this album from MMA partners
Love Songs Live Avant-Garde Jazz
JOHN ZORN
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Data 21st Century Modern
MATTHEW SHIPP
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

The Peacocks
ANTOINE DRYE
js· 2 hours ago
??·??·?·???·?·????
SADAO WATANABE
snobb· 23 hours ago
"Miles Between" // by Shawn Schlogel & Nancy Erickson Lamont
NANCY ERICKSON LAMONT
js· 1 day ago
Mature Hybird Talking
FRANK GRATKOWSKI
js· 3 days ago
Perspective (Peace & Love)
ISAIAH COLLIER
js· 3 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed