Crowd Company

There is a great tradition for jazz tinged funk music going back to artists like Bob James and Deodato or, in the UK, bands like Stretch and CCS. The music has never been truly mainstream but when it is done right there is very little to touch it for danceability and groove. Crowd Company are a new British band who seem to have caught the itch and this set is one of the most danceable I’ve heard in ages. They FUNK!!!!

The basic band is Rob Fleming (he of Bluesmix fame) on vocals and guitar, Claudio Corona on keyboards and a rhythm section of Emil Engstrom on bass and Ivan Kormann on drums. Add to that Chris Rand on Sax and Henry Spencer (trumpet) and you have the basis of a great sound. The keyboards are big rolling slabs of Hammond and the horns just add the punch and ‘oomph’ to the sound to bring it above the norm.

There is a real retro feel to the sound, harking back to the days of Northern Soul all-nighters and Wardour Street clubs and bars; gorgeous, sleazy and sexual. All of the music is designed around the rhythms and in your mind’s eye you can just about see the go-go dancers and hostesses.

Bottom line though is it makes you feel good. It makes you want to dance and the playing is good enough that when you are exhausted you can carry on listening until you have your breath back and then get back on the dancefloor.

A few weeks back I had the Rock Candy Funk Party album on my deck and now Crowd Company – US versus UK. On the sheer fun side of things the UK wins out. ‘Nuff said.