 |
Review appears in the Debut Issue of Decible Magazine John Ferreira is a contributing writer for Decible Magazine |
"Ladies and Gentlemen, live from the Ocean Mist here in Matunuck, RI, give it up for Planet Groove!!!" Thus begins the newest installment of albums from the always phenomenal Planet Groove, "Live at the Ocean Mist". This is the first live album the band has released, and let's hope that it isn't the last one! If you were at the CD release party they hosted at The Call on February 1st, you would have witnessed the beast that is Planet Groove. However, if you were not there, the album they have out represents the band extremely well. The album clocks in at nine tracks, and they are tasty tracks indeed.
The disc kicks off with their rendition of Zeppelin's "Fool In The Rain". You may have heard the song before, but not like this. Didn't think a Latin version of a Zeppelin tune was possible? Guess again. They smoke the hell out of the song. Guitarist John Medeiros lays down the first of many blistering solos in this first number, while the band sets a nice foundation for him to play on top of. Next comes "Spill The Wine", where the guys lay down some smooth, funky textures under percussionist/lead vocalist Larry Barron does his thing. And he does a damn good job at it. This is followed by "Candela", which is a familiar tune at their shows. "Candela" starts off with a mesmerizing guitar solo by Medeiros, before the band kicks in. It will definitely have you sitting at the edge of your seat as the band burns their way through yet another song.
Which takes us to their take on Miles Davis' "So What". Now, many of you out there probably know this particular song from Miles' "Kind of Blue" album, but Planet Groove takes this song and makes it their own. Sure, it's definitely the same song, but Planet Groove turns it from a rather straight-ahead jazz song, into a whole new demon. Bassist Nick Wade adds an especially deep groove to the song, as the other musicians do the song great justice. The band definitely has a way of taking the traditional, and making it modern. This is a good thing. "Del Rio" starts off with a beautiful intro by keyboardist Aaron Wade, who plays the song so effortlessly that it's unbelievable. The band comes in to add a smooth latin groove to the song, before kicking into a balls-out samba at the end. "Sunset Road" is a perfect example of how a band can take a song by another artist, and make it BETTER. You all probably know it as a song by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, but Planet Groov!e puts their hearts and souls into the song, and it definitely shows. The smooth funk of the song will have you grooving for sure!
Next comes a jam of songs by Santana. "Guajira" starts off with an infectious bass line by Nick Wade, you would swear that it is Santana up onstage. Planet Groove does serious justice to their music, and this song is proof of this. "Guajira" leads directly into "Oye Como Va", a song which you all probably know. The group is tight as hell on this song, as Medeiros rips up the guitar solo, and this leads directly into "Toussaint L' Overture", which is a somewhat obscure song by Santana, but it's a hell of a choice nonetheless. It comes at you out of nowhere, and hits like a freight train. The next track is "Sympathy for the Devil", which works extremely well in the latin-tinged context in which Planet Groove performs the song.
Finally, the disc ends with Santana's "Soul Sacrifice". This showcases not only John Medeiros' guitar playing, but also the phenomenal Ajay Coletta on the drums. The band cooks especially on this song, and when the disc ends, you'll be playing it all over again. I strongly urge everybody to get this disc, as it is a brilliant representation of the phenomenal band Planet Groove. Actually, get two copies, as one copy would just get worn out from listening to it so much.
John Ferreira is a contributing writer for Decible Magazine and performs with The J. Edward Orchestra