Four80East - Round 3 (2002)

The group Four80East moves solidly into the land of jazz-funk on "Round 3," its most lively album yet. Fans of the group know that continuing the smoky jazz and electronic textures present on its previous releases would have been enough to make this a good album, but bandleaders Rob DeBoer and Tony Grace added a large number of rock and retro-styled touches to many of the tracks, giving them a more obvious variety than on "Nocturnal" (2001) and their self-titled debut (1998).

The biggest difference between this release and the others, beyond the new sounds, is a greater level of consistency. For me, the prior F80E releases tended to weaken in track quality as the album progressed, especially on "Nocturnal." This problem doesn't exist on "Round 3" as all the tracks are excellent.

"Montreux" and "3 Out Of 4" are signature tracks, easily recognized and highly accessable. "TKO" with its boxing background noises, Rat Pack-style horn samples, and acoustic bass take the F80E sound in a new post-modern direction, while still remaining recognizable. "Last Flight To L.A.," with its bouncy bass line, Latin percussion, and electric piano flourishes, gives a decidely Southern California feel, quite a feat for a couple of Canadian jazz artists. The last track, "Burn Down The Bayou" kind of sounds like what might happen if Nine Inch Nails and Medeski Martin & Wood met up and started jamming.

If you like Four80East's prevoius albums or those of Down To The Bone, you will love this album. Casual fans of other contemporary jazz (like Medeski Martin & Wood) will find plenty to like as well. It even rocks enough for the pop crowd.