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Afro Strut
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Afro Strut
Current price: $17.99
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Afro Strut
Current price: $17.99
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Detroit keyboard and vocal ace, producer, arranger, and composer
Amp Fiddler
has pulled an end-around on
Afro Strut
. He followed up the brilliant
Waltz of a Ghetto Fly
in 2004 with an import version of
in 2006 on
Genuine
. The U.S. version followed in 2007, and instead of simply reissuing the set, he's retooled it considerably. The bottom line is that this is one of those records that is decidedly not a rip-off designed to grab your cash by the inclusion of a bonus cut or two. For starters, the single
"If I Don't,"
which was an
Amp
solo joint on the earlier version, was re-recorded as a duet with
Corinne Bailey Rae
. Keeping its 1930s vibe, with a jumpy little
Fats Waller
-esque melody and rhythm, he and
Rae
whip the tune into a jaunty frenzy with killer instrumental fills by jazz legend (and fellow Detroiter)
Wendell Harrison
's clarinet, and the upright piano loops that tinkle and twinkle around the edges, adding a late-night, prohibition-era party vibe. It's playful and snappy. The funky opener,
"Faith,"
produced by
Raphael Saadiq
, remains in its earlier form, offering a real alternative to the
Jamiroquai
-trademarked plastic funky soul that seems to be ever present on the other side of the pond these days.
Saadiq
's bassline is rubbery and deep in the cut as
keeps the slippery groove relaxed vocally and on his keys. Another killer moment on the American version is the radical revision of
Billy Robert
's standard
"Hey Joe."
Closely associated with
Jimi Hendrix
,
Fiddler
's version is compelling because he doesn't do away with the guitar-based soul in the original, but deepens it with his keyboards, allowing guitarist
Rob Bacon
to ape the axe master while the beautiful B-3 lines do the fills and
's vocal moves into prime deep soul storytelling mode, making it a kind of future blues by way of the newspaper headlines. It's an age-old story told over the fence by word of mouth with the careening synth lines underscoring the violence that takes place. The narrator doesn't judge; he merely accepts and listens. The B-3 climbs to a shattering intensity as
lets his stellar voice range from smooth to gritty to underscore the action in the narrative. As
Bacon
plays the
Hendrix
guitar lines straight, the original is kept in the context of this new reading, but make no mistake, it's brand new, with a bottom-heavy bassline and punched-up chorus line.
"Not"
is a modern new-soul tune. The jazzy guitar fills by
Chris Bruce
stand in sharp contrast to the keyboards and programming.
's acoustic piano rides well with that rubbery synth bass, and his smooth, airy vocals. The harder nocturnal funk that is
"Scared"
is another new addition. There's a sampled
Bobby Byrd
voice that bubbles up from underneath, bringing
James Brown
's contribution back to the front intermittently. But the tune, slow as it is, gets down. Acoustic piano lines rub bellies with the loose-spined programmed bassline and tough-as-nails hi-hat and muffled snare loops, accenting the smoking chorus line-backing vocals.
's ability to make even the toughest, leanest lines seem relaxed in the groove is a trademark at this point. The African-language backing vocals provided by
Mpho Skeef
are offered as a percussive device and tier-thin reedy tonality is a sharp but welcome contrast to the sexual soul croon of
. As for the moments on the original that garnered it the critical acclaim it got overseas, there's the first single from the last version,
"Right Where You Are,"
which is an uptown strutter of a new-soul jam. With strings layered in by
Pete Whitfield
, flutes (alto and B flat) by
Helena Price
, live drums by
Joshua McKenzie
, complement the barrage of shimmering programming and backing tracks layered both on top of and underneath
's vocal and keyboard lines,
Tony Bowry
's live bassline bubbles like
Michael Henderson
's did with both
Miles
and in his latter days at
Motown
playing with
the Funk Brothers
. It pumps the groove while letting
do his laid-back thing in the verses. Two welcome vocal guest spots have been returned here in
"You Could Be Mine"
with
Neco Washington
. The single-chord melody line and intertwined vocals that alternate with call-and-response lines are stunning. It's a big fat groove that rarely contains the pair as they let it all fall out in front of everyone. This is the kind of love song that carries body as well as soul. The
Collin Duouis
breakbeats on the trap kit work nicely with the open righteous feel of
's crazy future funk keyboards and programming sonics. The other smoking vocal guest spot belongs to
Stephanie McKay
on
"Heaven."
Bass is played by
Paul Randolph
, saxophone by
Jacques Schwartbart
Ronald Wright
on drums, a beautiful pair of guitars by
Jean-Paul Maunick
and
Tony Remy
, with additional keys by
James Shelton
. But the glory belongs to
McKay
, whose soul croon is pure, elegant, airy, and able -- and she can get to any note without sliding.
croons along with her, but she takes it up a couple of notches. The harp loops add the dreamy outer-realm textures and layered-in flutes, and overdubbed shooting star sounds whisk in and out of this dense but not crowded mix. The pairing of voices moves it into orbit. The set closer,
"Come See Me,"
officially ends at about 4:50, but after a two-minute silence, there's a great surprise that we won't spoil. The bottom line is, as good as the original
was, this new version actually improves on what was already close to perfect. This one cannot be recommended highly enough. ~ Thom Jurek
Amp Fiddler
has pulled an end-around on
Afro Strut
. He followed up the brilliant
Waltz of a Ghetto Fly
in 2004 with an import version of
in 2006 on
Genuine
. The U.S. version followed in 2007, and instead of simply reissuing the set, he's retooled it considerably. The bottom line is that this is one of those records that is decidedly not a rip-off designed to grab your cash by the inclusion of a bonus cut or two. For starters, the single
"If I Don't,"
which was an
Amp
solo joint on the earlier version, was re-recorded as a duet with
Corinne Bailey Rae
. Keeping its 1930s vibe, with a jumpy little
Fats Waller
-esque melody and rhythm, he and
Rae
whip the tune into a jaunty frenzy with killer instrumental fills by jazz legend (and fellow Detroiter)
Wendell Harrison
's clarinet, and the upright piano loops that tinkle and twinkle around the edges, adding a late-night, prohibition-era party vibe. It's playful and snappy. The funky opener,
"Faith,"
produced by
Raphael Saadiq
, remains in its earlier form, offering a real alternative to the
Jamiroquai
-trademarked plastic funky soul that seems to be ever present on the other side of the pond these days.
Saadiq
's bassline is rubbery and deep in the cut as
keeps the slippery groove relaxed vocally and on his keys. Another killer moment on the American version is the radical revision of
Billy Robert
's standard
"Hey Joe."
Closely associated with
Jimi Hendrix
,
Fiddler
's version is compelling because he doesn't do away with the guitar-based soul in the original, but deepens it with his keyboards, allowing guitarist
Rob Bacon
to ape the axe master while the beautiful B-3 lines do the fills and
's vocal moves into prime deep soul storytelling mode, making it a kind of future blues by way of the newspaper headlines. It's an age-old story told over the fence by word of mouth with the careening synth lines underscoring the violence that takes place. The narrator doesn't judge; he merely accepts and listens. The B-3 climbs to a shattering intensity as
lets his stellar voice range from smooth to gritty to underscore the action in the narrative. As
Bacon
plays the
Hendrix
guitar lines straight, the original is kept in the context of this new reading, but make no mistake, it's brand new, with a bottom-heavy bassline and punched-up chorus line.
"Not"
is a modern new-soul tune. The jazzy guitar fills by
Chris Bruce
stand in sharp contrast to the keyboards and programming.
's acoustic piano rides well with that rubbery synth bass, and his smooth, airy vocals. The harder nocturnal funk that is
"Scared"
is another new addition. There's a sampled
Bobby Byrd
voice that bubbles up from underneath, bringing
James Brown
's contribution back to the front intermittently. But the tune, slow as it is, gets down. Acoustic piano lines rub bellies with the loose-spined programmed bassline and tough-as-nails hi-hat and muffled snare loops, accenting the smoking chorus line-backing vocals.
's ability to make even the toughest, leanest lines seem relaxed in the groove is a trademark at this point. The African-language backing vocals provided by
Mpho Skeef
are offered as a percussive device and tier-thin reedy tonality is a sharp but welcome contrast to the sexual soul croon of
. As for the moments on the original that garnered it the critical acclaim it got overseas, there's the first single from the last version,
"Right Where You Are,"
which is an uptown strutter of a new-soul jam. With strings layered in by
Pete Whitfield
, flutes (alto and B flat) by
Helena Price
, live drums by
Joshua McKenzie
, complement the barrage of shimmering programming and backing tracks layered both on top of and underneath
's vocal and keyboard lines,
Tony Bowry
's live bassline bubbles like
Michael Henderson
's did with both
Miles
and in his latter days at
Motown
playing with
the Funk Brothers
. It pumps the groove while letting
do his laid-back thing in the verses. Two welcome vocal guest spots have been returned here in
"You Could Be Mine"
with
Neco Washington
. The single-chord melody line and intertwined vocals that alternate with call-and-response lines are stunning. It's a big fat groove that rarely contains the pair as they let it all fall out in front of everyone. This is the kind of love song that carries body as well as soul. The
Collin Duouis
breakbeats on the trap kit work nicely with the open righteous feel of
's crazy future funk keyboards and programming sonics. The other smoking vocal guest spot belongs to
Stephanie McKay
on
"Heaven."
Bass is played by
Paul Randolph
, saxophone by
Jacques Schwartbart
Ronald Wright
on drums, a beautiful pair of guitars by
Jean-Paul Maunick
and
Tony Remy
, with additional keys by
James Shelton
. But the glory belongs to
McKay
, whose soul croon is pure, elegant, airy, and able -- and she can get to any note without sliding.
croons along with her, but she takes it up a couple of notches. The harp loops add the dreamy outer-realm textures and layered-in flutes, and overdubbed shooting star sounds whisk in and out of this dense but not crowded mix. The pairing of voices moves it into orbit. The set closer,
"Come See Me,"
officially ends at about 4:50, but after a two-minute silence, there's a great surprise that we won't spoil. The bottom line is, as good as the original
was, this new version actually improves on what was already close to perfect. This one cannot be recommended highly enough. ~ Thom Jurek
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