Year: 2008
Record Label: Telarc
Style: Soul / Funk Jazz
Musicians: Stanton Moore (drums), Robert Walter (Hammond B3, piano, toy piano, clavinet), Will Bernard (guitar)
Review: New Orleans born and raised drummer Stanton Moore, who has a Bachelor’s degree in Music and Business from Loyola University, has been making music almost non-stop since he graduated. Before working as a single artist Moore spent time on the road with the “steam-roller” funk band Galactic. Recently he’s worked with guitarist Charlie Hunter, among others.
On his newest Telarc release, featuring a trio with Will Bernard on guitar and Robert Walter on Hammond B-3 and other keyboards, Moore brings his rock and New Orleans beats to the festivities in creating a disc that shows why Modern Drummer magazine thinks so highly of the young tubs master. The opener, “(Late Night At The) Maple Leaf” combines a lilting second-line feel with a hip swing concept to create the perfect party track. “Wissions (Of Vu)” has a heavy back-beat guitar-oriented slant that incorporates some delightful toy piano stylings by Walter that let you know it’s not only Wendy Mae Chambers who has ability on the more-difficult-than-one-can-imagine-at-first-glance instrument.
Throughout the disc Moore’s percussion work is always front and center; there is no doubt this is a drummer led band. On “(Smell My) Special Ingredients” the riff based keyboard melody is delightfully enhanced by guitar fills and some really tight New Orleans second-line boogie from Moore. Even though there’s a keyboard solo you almost don’t care, Moore’s playing is so infectious it’s all you really pay attention to.
“(Who Ate The) Layer Cake?” is progressive rock influenced all the way, yet when the tune breaks down there’s that incessantly hard-driving New Orleans sound again making its way to the fore. He may try to get away from it at times, but Moore is a Cajun percussionist through and through.
If there’s a problem with the disc it’s that Moore’s so exciting to listen to his band mates get neglected; it’s not that they’re not fine musicians, because they are, it’s just that Moore is the heart and soul of the gathering. If you’re in a bar and this band is playing then you need to go, immediately, but how this group would transfer to the concert situation is up in the air. Percussion enthusiasts should not miss they disc; Moore is the real deal.
Tracks: (Late Night At The) Maple Leaf, (Proper) Gander, Wissions (Of Vu), (Sifting Through The) African Diaspora, Over (Compensatin'), (Smell My) Special Ingredients, (I Have) Super Strength, (Who Ate The) Layer Cake?, Thanks! (Again), (Put On Your) Big People Shoes and (Here Comes) The Brown Police
Record Label Website: http://www.telarc.com/
Artist's Website: http://www.stantonmoore.com/index.php
Reviewed by:
Thomas R. Erdmann
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