By James Fitzgerald
It was said a few years back that “Rock and Roll is alive, and it lives in Minneapolis”. The same can be said of funk in today’s City of Lakes, as the tradition of The Time and Prince continues with, among others, PHO. Not many cities in the Midwest can boast of having such a productive funk scene, but no other city can boast of the Purple Yoda and that dynamite ‘Minneapolis Sound’ as part of its history.Though the influence of such old school funk acts looms large on their debut album, PHO updates the formula to incorporate soul, jazz, and hip hop.
An 8 piece collective featuring 3 adept horns, (trumpet, tenor and alto saxophones) this young band brings the funk throughout their debut record. Rounded out by two guitars, bass, keys, and drums, PHO lay down some solid grooves and maintain an upbeat feel on the album.
The record kicks off with blazing horns and a funky groove on “Prince Tony”, and continues with the upbeat hand clapping percussion and wailing saxophone of “Hennepin”. The latter, released earlier as a single, would fit in nicely on any funk playlist next to that immensely popular song currently dominating the airwaves with the words Uptown and Funk in its title.
“-20”, another nod to Minnesota and our treacherous winters, has a driving groove and funky piano throughout. The spaciest tune on the record is “Kodesh”, which stretches out into a cosmic far away place before landing.
The title track, “Cash It”, is a slow burner and the shortest track on the record at an even two minutes. “Butter on a Biscuit” is as appetizing as it sounds, with the perhaps the best guitar work of the album found here.
The album weaves through 8 instrumentals, most clocking in at around five minutes, before closing with “Moonlit Sky”, a stand-out and the only song with lyrics. Featuring Liberian-born emcee Rich Garvey examining existential urban dilemmas, the song benefits from the smooth delivery of the rhymes as well as some subtle flute work.
Overall, “Cash It” is a solid effort from an up and coming band, proving that funk is alive, and it lives in Minneapolis.
https://soundcloud.com/phofunk
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