the philadelphia experiment - not to be confused with the alleged US military experiment where a naval ship was rendered briefly invisible - is a collaboration between ahmir thompson (otherwise known as questlove/?uestlove, drummer for acclaimed hip-hop act the roots and producer for artists including common and al green), uri caine (jazz pianist and composer), and christian mcbride (jazz bassist). this one-off album was dedicated to recognising philadelphia's profound legacy of jazz and soul.
even though each member hails from philadelphia, they all bring their unique musical style to this collaboration. caine's avant-garde piano, mcbride's jazzy bass, and thompson's hip-hop drumming style all result in a very funky album unrivalled in originality. they have achieved a completely fresh approach to a style of music which consistently features in 'greatest albums of all time' lists; bringing that style of improvisational jazz into the 21st century. this album is a flawlessly executed homage to the greats of music. in particular, 'trouble man theme' is a rendition of marvin gaye's 'trouble man' which has been transformed into what some people have described as a 'revival-like groove'. not to be overlooked is the hidden gem of a track at the end of the album where mcbride plays a stripped back cover of 'just the two of us' by grover washington jr with a slapped bass rhythm line and handclaps. with repeat listens you can really appreciate the influences behind this highly successful experimental venture.
the philadelphia experiment - 'trouble man theme' [mediafire]
the philadelphia experiment - 'trouble man theme' [yousendit]
