Beat Bronco Organ Trio - Roadtrip (2020) [Hi-Res]

"Not the typical standard Organ Trio Soul Jazz. This is a powerhouse on another level (and with some great guests too), and will be a constant in the record boxes of the right DJ's for a long time" - Snowboy
It’s album release time for this Madrid-based soul/jazz organ trio who have been burning up stages and festivals throughout 2019 and who have already had a successful single out on Rocafort Records. Beat Bronco Organ Trio have not rewritten the Hammond musical handbook, but they do what it says on the tin rather splendidly – a Road Trip that grooves, swings and sashays around the familiar but much loved funky jazz theme.
Although it’s impossible to listen to the album without summoning up the ghosts of Jimmies McGriff & Smith and the like, nearly all tracks here are originals and shout out personality, verve and respectful homage to the tradition. Featuring the usual leitmotifs: Shaftish film soundtrack, lo-fi lounger, gospel-tinged toe-tapper, the hip shaker and much wah-wah frenesi, there’s nothing not to like if the genre is your bag.
The steaming horn section on “Hard Play” thickens the sauce à la JBs and the Meters, aided along by a unique orchestra of handclaps. Vocalist and guitarist Alberto Palacios storms in with “Hey Hey”, an old Dave Bartholomew classic from New Orleans, just to remind us where Fats Domino and Ray Charles got it all from. Chip Wickham makes two welcome appearances on flute, adding an extra jazzy touch to “Squirtly” and “Electro Pi” – the latter a fabulous trippy, spacious head-nodder that demands in our opinion some kind of a wigged out drum’n’bass remix. Every track is clearly dominated by variations on the vintage keyboard, be it Hammond, Clavinet or Minimoog; all roads lead to that sexy, sacred sound.
Spain is already prominent on the modern-day Funk map thanks to groups like The Sweet Vandals, Speak Low and Mighty Vamp – and it comes as no surprise that our hero trio featured at various times in all these bands. Gabri Casanova (keys), Lucas de Mulder (guitar, percussion) and Antonio "Pax" Alvarez (drums, percussion) have been busy reviving the funk gospel for some time now. Road Trip is an elegant culmination of their efforts in keeping alive a revered and timeless tradition that still today serves as a reference to where all the good stuff came from: The Church!

Gabri Casanova: Hammond organ, clavinet, minimoog & backing vocals
Lucas De Mulder: guitar, backing vocals & percussion
Antonio Pax Alvarez: drums & percussion

Guest musicians:
Chip Wickham: flute on Squirtly & Electro Pi.
Alberto Palacios: voice & guitar on Hey Hey.
Luis Soler: trumpet on Hard Play.
Diego Jiménez: baritone sax on Hard Play.
Arantza: trombone & tuba on Hard Play.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Beat Bronco Organ Trio - Easy Baby (4:26)
1.02 - Beat Bronco Organ Trio - Crispy Time (4:14)
1.03 - Beat Bronco Organ Trio - Squirtly (feat. Chip Wickham) (3:09)
1.04 - Beat Bronco Organ Trio - Hard Play (4:01)
1.05 - Beat Bronco Organ Trio - Hey Hey (feat. Alberto Palacios) (2:49)
1.06 - Beat Bronco Organ Trio - Under Pressure (2:50)
1.07 - Beat Bronco Organ Trio - Eternal Question (3:42)
1.08 - Beat Bronco Organ Trio - Beat Bronco (3:34)
1.09 - Beat Bronco Organ Trio - Road Trip (4:37)
1.10 - Beat Bronco Organ Trio - Electro Pi (feat. Chip Wickham) (4:00)