An Honest Tune – June 2001

An Honest Tune, June/2001
Review by Bryan Irby

Soul Cloud

New BlueGround UnderGrass bassist Joseph Moore (ex-Fiji Mariners/Planet Zambee) has just released a second solo album on his own independent label MMP. SOUL CLOUD continues in the same contemporary jazz vein as his 1996 release NEVER NEVER LAND. While much of this material is a bit too smooth for my jazz tastes there are some definite funky highlights like ASHES TO ASHES, MUMPHIS COSANOSTRA, and DATZ IT, all 3 which feature Yonrico Scott (Derek Trucks Band) on drums and Jimmy Herring on guitar. The simpler, bass-centric tunes on the album are also among the best tracks. Pause#3 is a bass, sitar & drum free-jazz piece dedicated to Miles Davis Drummer Tony Williams (Pause 1 and 2 on NEVER NEVER LAND were dedicated to Miles Davis and Jaco Pastorius). BIG BUTT BASS is exactly that: in-yer-face solo slap bass, and there’s a nice bass & saxophone take on Led Zepplin‘s GOING TO CALIFORNIA. These tunes and the hidden track ANOTHER DAY ANOTHER TIME ( a beautiful rainy-day-in-Memphis piece) outshine the title track and a cover of DUST IN THE WIND which I find unlistenable.

Catch Joseph Patrick Moore on tour with BlueGround UnderGrass or his own group.