Nils Landgren Funk Unit - Licence To Funk (CD)

Release Date: 08/31/07

For those who like to party. A celebration of funk as a collective experience.

The focus on Licence To Funk is on the communicating quality of funk. It is no surprise that a red-blooded musician like Nils Landgren would never let his indubitable jazz sensibility and fearsome virtuosity get the better of this endeavour, and turn it into an academic exercise. No way, José! This is an album for those who like to party, or as Nils states tongue-in-cheek: an album “to move my old Swedish body to the beat”. As we could rightly expect, Nils Landgren has found a universal and very contemporary vibe for this groove-based idiom. This may be due to subtle changes to the fabric of his winning Funk Unit team of Magnum Coltrane Price and German top drummer Wolfgang Haffner. New additions are keyboarder/singer Ida Sand, and flutist/saxophonist Magnus Lindgren. Landgren was able to snag one of Detroit funk’s true legends for his new project: guitarist Ray Parker Jr. The composer of the million selling “Ghostbusters” had collaborated with Landgren on the Swede’s Creole Love Call album with Joe Sample. All the musicians are featured as composers on Licence To Funk. Fred Wesley’s 'House Party', the ecstatic opener sets the pace for what follows: A celebration of funk as a collective experience. Each of the twelve tracks shows up a different aspect of the genre: The relaxed elegance of Landgren’s own “Capetown Shuffle” contrasts with the exhilarating verve of the Ashford/Simpson classic “Stuff Like That”. Lush gospel harmonies characterize the vocal sections of Magnum Coltrane Price’s brisk “Freak U”. Soulful solos by the two horn players crown Wolfgang Haffner’s laid-back “Slowfoot”, vocalist Ida Sand charges her composition “Secret” with lascivious blues feeling, while Landgren’s understated vocals bring a cool lounge vibe to “24Hours”. The explosive riffs on “SampleRayT” conjure up the spirit of the Crusaders’ heyday as does the power play of the whole band on “Brazos River Breakdown” an original by Crusaders-saxophonist Wilton Felder.