Trio Valore - Return Of The Iron Monkey (2008)

Trio Valore is essentially a supergroup: Steve White, who became famous as a member of The Style Council, played drums and also worked with Paul Weller, Galliano, The Young Disciples and JTQ. Bassist Damon Minchella is a founding member of Ocean Colour Scene and has collaborated with Paul Weller for many years. Seamus Beaghen played Hammond organ and has worked with many artists, including Madness, Iggy Pop, Morrissey, Supergrass, Desmond Dekker and Tom Jones.

The greatest strength of this album, intended for the dance floor, is its groove. Musically, it lies somewhere between British mod jazz, Hammond funk, soul jazz and acid jazz. The musicians take the aesthetics of Jimmy Smith, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, early soul jazz and the mod scene as their basis, then reshape them through their own years of studio and session musicianship related to British Acid Jazz and contemporary soul/funk culture.