#7 Funky Goldman - Soil & “Pimp” Sessions - by profyousion
Saturday, January 10th, 2009profyousion’s video review funky-goldman
pimpoint
I got hip to these cats maybe about 6 months ago while listening to internet radio, and I had to know who they were.
The jam I heard was called “Funky Goldman”, the groove of which reminded me of some old time ballroom jams that might have been played at the club back in the day. It has a Herbie Hancock-like synth “vocal” over some mean, yet laid back slick sax riffs.
This cut is off their 3rd album “Pimpoint”, a somewhat intriguing title.
You can imagine my surprise when I found out these cats were japanese!
Now I’m really intrigued. What do these cats know about pimps?
Evidently, these guys came about through the japanese dj club scene as an add on live jam session in between dj sets. Due to the strength of their sets, they eventually usurped the djs and their brand of alternative jazz became the main draw.
Here’s a YouTube video of a club set
They started out with just two cats, Shacho the “agitator”and Tabu Zombie(trumpet). Shacho seems to be the spirit of the group as he hypes the crowd and encourages involvement through the use of a megaphone!
As they increased in popularity, other members were added. Motoharu (sax), Josei (keyboards), Akita Goldman (double bass) and Midorin (drums).
The sheer energy and tempo of their music drew attention most notably from Gilles Peterson, a noted dj, record label owner and host of radio 1, a leading radio station in the uk, where he’s known for his eclectic playlist. He signed them up on his Brownswood label and has been instrumental in helping them gain exposure through various club dates and music festivals.
