Like Jimi Hendrix, the eight members of Cymande were all phenomenally adept self-taught musicians. And also like Hendrix, they were masters at synthesizing funk, soul, blues, and psychedelic sounds, creating a music that resists any convenient labeling. They could funk on a reggae groove, put a heavy dose of soul into a psychedelic jam, and lay down some bluesy riffs around a Caribbean spiced vocal. Cymande's members came from Guyana, Jamaica, and St.Vincent, and they imported a strong island vibe into their cosmic sound. This album is at once raw and polished, extraordinarily diverse, and consistently grooving. The tunes run the gamut from the hypnotic Santana-influenced instrumental, "Dove," to the New Orleans funk of "The Message," which actually made it to #22 on the domestic R&B charts in 1974. The spectacularly funky "Bra" was included on Spike Lee's highly recommended "Crooklyn" soundtrack. Other highlights include the psychedelic soul-jazz sounds of "Rickshaw," the bluesy trance of "Anthracite," and the consciousness-raising "Listen." Cymande is one of the forgotten miracles of the early 70s and deserves a major rediscovery by fans of all musical genres.
---John Ballon (email)
Buy or Hear It Now...
Tracks:
1. The Message
2. Brothers On The Slide
3. Dove
4. Bra
5. Fug
6. For Baby Who
7. Rickshaw
8. Equitorial Forest
9. Listen
10. Getting It Back
11. Anthracite
12. Willy's Headache
13. Genevieve
14. Pon De Dungle
15. Rastarfarian Folk Song
16. One More
17. Zion I
Players:
Patrick Patterson: Guitar
Derek Gibbs: Alto and Soprano Sax
Mike Rose: Alto Sax, Flute, Bongos
Desmond Atwell: Sax
Joey Dee: Vocals, percussion
Steve Scipio: Bass
Sam Kelly: Drums
Pablo Gonzales: Congas
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