There is a line in the movie "The Commitments" when the manager Jimmy turns to the saxophone player at a pub urinal and says "What were you playing out there, that wasn’t soul, soul has corners. What you were playing spiraled, that’s jazz, and jazz is musically wanking."
That is a line that reverberates around my mind whenever I see press releases that include statements like " punctuated with spontaneous jamming, extended improvisations and experimentation". So it was with some trepidation that I popped this CD into my player. A live album recorded in a pub in Florida by a six piece that combine rock, blues, jazz, funk, Latin, folk, and ragtime. With cover art that screams 60’s psychedelic hippie wig out. Not going to be my cup of tea, for sure.
Actually though this live performance carefully sidesteps most of the obvious pitfalls that confronts this genre of music. The musicians are very talented; we are talking BA’s in Jazz Guitar here folks (Hey I am not the only person with a silly degree!). Despite this the musical experimentation is kept within the framework of a set of simple catchy songs with heavy blues influence, with the rhythm section interjecting funk and Latin percussion to spice things up a little.
On a song like "Closer to the Bone" this works perfectly, the layers of different styles competing interestingly, but never allowed to get messy. A great song to sip bourbon to on a hot Florida evening I am sure. At several other points on the album though the musicians put themselves before the songs, fine if you like that sort of thing, but personally I think the tune should always be king, although I am sure there are millions of music fans out there who would disagree with me.
Apparently Refried Confusion regularly host live concerts at a ranch house they own in Florida, where people arrive with tents and VW campers ready to pretend it is the 60’s again. Or perhaps to recapture the whole "dead head" thing, and although the press I have read on the band avoids the comparison, in many ways to me Refried Confusion are a very natural successor to the Grateful Dead. Certainly if you were a fan then check out this CD, you will not be disappointed at all.
For me I have to admit this was a pleasant surprise, I don’t think I will dig out the tie-dye just yet, but this is a great album to mellow out to. Pass me my hookah someone.

Band Website | Contact Refried Confusion | Give Us Feedback on Review