George Clinton, both as a driving force behind Parliament Funkadelic (and its variants) and solo, has certainly been one of the most adventurous and powerful forces in funk music for many years, delivering music that captivates and entertains, while testing the boundaries of its musical form. So, it may seem fairly obvious that someone might come along to do their own take on his work. The project here seeks to bring modern sampling and hip-hop sensibilities along with a jam band purely instrumental take to cuts that Clinton wrote. The result is a bit of a mixed bag.

First, they have to get some points for the awesome name they have given the band. It definitely is great to hear these tunes in a fresh light, too. That said, much of the CD seems to have a sameness to it, and it is a bit too laid back in a lot of places. In other words, this might make for good light background music, but it seems a bit too sedate for a party atmosphere, or to just sit down to listen for a while. I found myself wanting to hear the originals after making my way through this. Still, for those whose tastes wander more to light jazz, this might be a great introduction to the works of Clinton. I have to add that the Hawkwindish space rock textures that are interspersed here were a nice addition for this reviewer.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2003 Year Book Volume 1 at https://garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2003-and-2004/.