Category:
Rock / Jazz / Hip-Hop

Try if you like:
Jazzgroove, Koop

•   Cachaca

Juba Dance is an ambitious project from Benjamin Lamar and Polyphonic the Verbose (producer). What made me pick up Orange out of my hundreds that I have to review is unknown to me. The cover is quite amateur but the music within, WOW! It is a fun album. The guys utilize a hybrid of hip hop, jazz, funk, blues, electro, and even Afro-Cuban to come up with something very interesting and refreshing. Juba Dance opens the album up with a funky track called "Tomorrow". It's funky while keeping laid back, with a party background helping add to the energy. Then they move into the electro territory with "Union Hall". It's a soulful song but has a modern feel to it with the electronic samples and keyboards. "Double Dutch Hymns" is full on Hip Hop with some great backing vocals and some spaced out samples.  "Fisherman's Jig" is a track that is a gentle jazz movement that is more inspiring than a lot of pure jazz I've heard lately. Some great trumpet playing and a lovely percussion is backing the instrumental song. Then they head even further into the electro territory with "Cachaca". This one is almost too much with the phaser type sounds they use, but they manage to hold it together with the great vocals. Juba Dance's rap comes on strong again with "Hecky Naw". "Adams & Wabash" is one of the highlights on Orange. It's got a very funky vibe that keeps things up but then a wash of soulful vocals comes on.

Juba Dance have a great fresh sound here. I think this will be a group to watch for in the next couple years. They are able to do it all, which I think will define "albums" in the coming years. Gone are the full albums of one genre, you need to be jacks of all trades in order to keep the attention.