| boston horns | (c) 2008 |
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The Attic, Newton, MA - 2/9/02
Review by Brett M. Rhyne
Artistically and commercially, the funked-up Boston Horns fill a comfortable niche between jazz artists and jam bands. In
concert, they evoke the best elements of both genres. This high-octane sextet skillfully combines the playfulness and
expressive power of jam with jazz’s melodic surprise and experimentation.
“Squid” Rush and drummer Jack Howard, Jr. Subtle Mark Longo on organ and Jeff Buckridge on guitar nicely smooth the
“Squid” Rush and drummer Jack Howard, Jr. Subtle Mark Longo on organ and Jeff Buckridge on guitar nicely smooth the
band’s brassy, hooky groove. The musicians’ approach to lyrics is equally simple and effective: vocals are almost
exclusively single lines, repeated in unison - the archetypal funk riff.
exclusively single lines, repeated in unison - the archetypal funk riff.
Boston Horns excel in an intimate, eminently hospitable venue like The Attic. We can see how they love to play, how they
respond with genuine joy to each other’s innovations. We appreciate funk most in concert. The music of Boston Horns is
an excellent example of what this critic calls process art: work where the artifact (or product) is inseparable from the
process by which the artists produce it. This is something else funk, as a genre, shares with jam. Live funk, like live jam,
is best; our experience of recorded funk is very different and at times disappointing. It’s another medium, and funksters
on CD often sound like another band ltogether. This is funk musicians’ market niche: between jam bands, who rarely
record, and jazz artists, who frequently do their best work in studio. Unfortunately for Boston Horns, this linking of genre
to medium limits their marketability and therefore their appeal to record labels. Fortunately for us, though, they’re local,
and play frequently throughout the area. Check them out in person; you’ll have a supercharged good time, guaranteed.
Review by Brett M. Rhyne
Artistically and commercially, the funked-up Boston Horns fill a comfortable niche between jazz artists and jam bands. In
concert, they evoke the best elements of both genres. This high-octane sextet skillfully combines the playfulness and
expressive power of jam with jazz’s melodic surprise and experimentation.
“Squid” Rush and drummer Jack Howard, Jr. Subtle Mark Longo on organ and Jeff Buckridge on guitar nicely smooth the
“Squid” Rush and drummer Jack Howard, Jr. Subtle Mark Longo on organ and Jeff Buckridge on guitar nicely smooth the
band’s brassy, hooky groove. The musicians’ approach to lyrics is equally simple and effective: vocals are almost
exclusively single lines, repeated in unison - the archetypal funk riff.
exclusively single lines, repeated in unison - the archetypal funk riff.
Boston Horns excel in an intimate, eminently hospitable venue like The Attic. We can see how they love to play, how they
respond with genuine joy to each other’s innovations. We appreciate funk most in concert. The music of Boston Horns is
an excellent example of what this critic calls process art: work where the artifact (or product) is inseparable from the
process by which the artists produce it. This is something else funk, as a genre, shares with jam. Live funk, like live jam,
is best; our experience of recorded funk is very different and at times disappointing. It’s another medium, and funksters
on CD often sound like another band ltogether. This is funk musicians’ market niche: between jam bands, who rarely
record, and jazz artists, who frequently do their best work in studio. Unfortunately for Boston Horns, this linking of genre
to medium limits their marketability and therefore their appeal to record labels. Fortunately for us, though, they’re local,
and play frequently throughout the area. Check them out in person; you’ll have a supercharged good time, guaranteed.