Down to the Bone - From Manhattan to Staten (1997)

Been a while since a DTTB acid jazz CD appeared on this blog, but I saw this disc sitting needlessly in the used CD bin recently and I rescued it without a second thought. The group's debut disc, it isn't quite as frenetic as their later releases, but it's still an pleasurable mix of instrumental funk and jazz. I dig.

It's strange album title for a British group, no?

I can't think of anything new to write about the group that I haven't already written, so let's see if I can find anything amusing in the reviews over on Amazon (where this disc is currently available for a penny):

• Hot tunes for the dance floor and a non stop rhythem [sic]. Cruising on an interstate with this CD can be a joy as the music flows and flows. I first heard this song on, of all places, the Weather Channel. Those are my thoughts and thanks for reading.
• this CD is "Off Da' Chain"...!!!
• I got this for my brother. He loves it.
• What can I say.
• Where ever you are you can just stop and get out the car and dance. Some people will laugh, some will point, & some will stop by and join in with you. That's how good Manhattan to Staten CD is good.
• easy to dance to on roller skates.
• I could easily envision one of these songs on some soundtrack or on a car commercial.
• like Dali in Soundscape.
• Wish I had a longer drive to work!

Just noticed the back cover image is of the Staten Island Ferry in front of the World Trade Center towers. That was a gut punch. Damn.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: Like all DTTB releases, they're all heavily grooved, they're all enjoyable, they're all danceable, and they all run together after a while. One of those groups where you can't name any of their tracks and you're lucky to remember an album title, but you enjoy the crap out of the music just the same. From what I can tell, the singles were the first two tracks, Staten Island Groove and Brooklyn Heights.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Future Boogie (2009)
Supercharged (2007)
Cellar Funk (2004)
Crazy Vibes and Things (2002)
The Urban Grooves (1999)

Down to the Bone - Future Boogie (2009)

While Down to the Bone are still considered to be an acid jazz outfit, the musical mind of of the group's chief composer, producer, and arranger Stuart Wade has gotten a lot funkier as he's gotten older. To me, that's a good thing. Lots of horns, handclaps, and funky basslines to be had. Lots of solid soloing, particularly Neil Angilley's turns on the Rhodes piano, Hammond organ, and other various keyboards. They do what they do quite well; the only downside is that this group of tunes, like most DTTB releases, can't fight their sonic similarities and start to run together after a while. However, I always enjoy it when a DTTB track turns up on a shuffle, particularly at work: a mid-day chair dance is always welcome at that place.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: The title track wouldn't be out of place as a deep cut on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. I also like the syncopated beat of Spiderlegs and the closing groove of We've Always Got The Music. The two collaborations with Hil St Soul are good and I don't normally enjoy vocal tracks on a mostly instrumental jazz album. My least favorite track is Get On It.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: none

Previously revisited for the blog:
Supercharged (2007)
Cellar Funk (2004)
Crazy Vibes and Things (2002)
The Urban Grooves (1999)

Down to the Bone - Crazy Vibes and Things (2002)

My favorite UK acid jazz group. What do you mean you don't have a favorite UK acid jazz group? Anyway, if you want to think of this music as smooth jazz, that's fine. You want to think of it as dance music? That's OK, too. The group mixes up the speed and feels of the songs here a little more than usual. Great keyboard work and catchy horn licks. Critics usually pick this album as the group's best and I might agree with them (for once). I picked this up from a used bin last year for $3.99. Money well spent.

Down to the Bone is unusual in that its leader/arranger/producer, British DJ Stuart Wade, does not play any instruments. Instead, Wade hums his musical ideas into a recorder, which are then reproduced by the band.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: My picks are On A Roll, Music Is My Drug, and Searching For A Simple Groove. The smooth I Softly Surrender (To You) is as close to a ballad as this group gets. There's a vocal track, My One And All, with vocals from Hil St. Soul and while it isn't among my favorite tracks, it doesn't bother me as much as vocal tracks on instrumental albums normally do. Sounds like something from Jill Scott.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None for this CD, but since discovering this video, I can't listen to DTTB without thinking of it. That dancin' fool is so obviously enjoying himself that the video (and the great song from the Cellar Funk CD) makes me smile.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Supercharged (2007)
Cellar Funk (2004)
The Urban Grooves (1999)

Down To The Bone - The Urban Grooves (1999)

I always enjoy DTTB's acid jazz blend of jazz, funk, and '70s soul. This is one of the group's better releases. The "grooves" mentioned in the title refer to more than the feel of the music, it also alludes to grooves in a vinyl LP. The cover and the liner note pics are all about record stores and record sleeves. Heck, even the CD itself is designed to look like a vinyl LP (see below). Even though the soloing is top-notch, this music isn't old school Blue Note vinyl, but you can hear those old school influences against a heavy dance beat. Warning: this music has been known to cause office chair dancing in certain bloggers.

Tracks: Like most of the group's music, I like all the tracks. Sure they all sound the same, but if you dig that sound, what's the problem? I'm slightly partial to Yo Man It's Herbie because of its use of a Hohner Clavinet sound, which immediately takes you back to the '70s.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, DTTB simply provides me with quality background music.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Supercharged (2007)
Cellar Funk (2004)

Down To The Bone - Supercharged (2007)

This album is a little funkier than the group's usual acid jazz. They slow down the dance grooves and add The D.C. Horns. Like most DTTB albums, all the songs are very similar and the CD doesn't require much active listening. Great background music for parties, answering email, or doing chores, though.

Tracks: My favorites are Parkside Shuffle and Hip City; least favorite is Cosmic Fuzz.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Down to the Bone - Cellar Funk (2004)

This is a fun, upbeat listen. Down to the Bone is an instrumental acid jazz group from the UK. Acid jazz combines smooth jazz with samples, hip-hop, and other production tricks over dance beats. It's what most people would call an "acquired taste" but I like it in small doses. I can't take more than one CD at a time. Still, it's great music to get me up and moving some mornings.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: They pretty much all run together to me. They're all good, but no one track sticks out as being better or worse than any others.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I can't remember how I heard of this group, but this was the first disc of theirs that I purchased. I remember listening to it in my office around May of 2004, during my last semester to teach in the public schools.