What Happened To Television? - The Greyboy Allstars

Hi there, folks! I'm back from my vacation in the west, with a very fresh sounding jazz group called The Greyboy Allstars. You may not have heard of them, but one listen and you'll want to make sure that everyone you know has heard this sound.

Now, there are a lot of jazz groups out there. What makes these guys so special? Nothing specific. What I really get into when I listen to this album is the way it all comes together. In general, they take an approach to jazz that I really admire. Specifically, well-written melodies, short-but-sweet solos, really groovin' backgrounds (without losing focus), etc. I don't want to do the traditional track run-down on this one, but I do want to point out some things that I really love on a few of the tracks.
"V Neck Sweater" opens with a funky organ, sax and drum riff, which only gets better when you add those fuzzy-filter vocals that I love so very, very much, you get a head-bobbin' good time. The solos only stretch about 24 bars or so, but that's how I like them, it keeps the song moving. Jazz songs have a tendancy of getting long when soloists really go at it, and that's perfectly fine, but for the style that the Allstars lay down, the short solos are very welcome. In fact, most of the songs on the album are under 4 minutes!
Definitely check out the second track (the title track) as its gospel-influenced organ parts and jazzy guitar parts make it one of my favorites. Also, "Still Waiting" is a great James Brown-esque jam that really finds its way to your toes and gets them tapping.
As the album winds on, you get a lot of different influences: Some jazz flute that sounds very much like Jethro Tull, some Medeski, Martin & Wood-style turn-tables, some poppy female vocals, some R&B grooves, and more!
This is a bit of a short review, I know, but I feel like going into more detail really wouldn't do the album any more than my quick overview of it. Definitely check this one out. It's some great music for almost any occasion (except maybe funerals...). I know you'll be groovin' just as much as I was. Happy listening!

Free link to the album on Napster:
http://free.napster.com/view/album/index.html?id=12473141

Also, a big shout-out to Michelle and Kevin for finding this one for me!