Teddy Douglas and Jay Steinhour have become famous as The Basement Boys (Crystal Waters, Ultra Nate', Jasper Street Co., Those Guys). But since you're nobody until you have a handful of aliases to your credit, the duo have conjured up a heavy-footed, 74-year-old drummer from Louisiana named Mudfoot Jones to add to their multiple aliases.
The fictional back-story says that Mudfoot Jones got his name because he was a little too heavy on the bass drum. Of course, as we've learned from house and hip-hop and all genres that have been influenced by it, there is no such thing as being too heavy on the bass drum. Basement Boys know this and whatever else they do, they hit the drums hard.
The instrumentation is prodigious throughout this album, but it's never the star simply because the percussion demands your attention. Piano and organ frequently join the rhythm section on tracks like "Everything's Gon' Be Alright", "Never Seen It Comin'" and "Pray for Me" with the effect of driving the songs' dance-ability factor through the roof. I dare you not to move to this record. Put it on and try standing absolutely still. You won't be able to manage it.
They dip into blues ("Hold On I'm Comin'") and latin ("Mamma's Spanish Joint"), but the album is mostly an incredibly upbeat jazz affair. Merge the music of the Harlem Renaissance with the rhythmic overdrive of a modern dancefloor and you have the overriding sensibility of Mudfoot Jones.
By C. W. Hall
THE PLAYERS
Mudfoot Jones- All Instruments and Vocals
Marcell Russell- Vocals %u201CNever Seen It Comin%u2019%u201D
Greg Thomas- Sax, Vocals
Bennie Cowan- Trumpet, Fluglehorn
Lafayette Gilcrest- Piano, Vibes, Piano Solos on %u201CMamma%u2019s Spanish Joint%u201D and %u201CEverything%u2019s Gon%u2019 Be Alright%u201D
Wayne Cooper- Guitars
Woodrow Jones- Vocals and Backgrounds
Gary Hudgins- Piano and Hammond B3 Solo on %u201CPray for Me%u201D
Teddy Douglas & Jay Steinhour- Drum Programming
Irvin Madden- Bass on %u201CHold On I%u2019m Comin%u2019%u201D
Victor Williams- Percussion
Produced, Arranged, Engineered, and Mixed by Teddy Douglas and Jay Steinhour for Basement Boys Productions
The fictional back-story says that Mudfoot Jones got his name because he was a little too heavy on the bass drum. Of course, as we've learned from house and hip-hop and all genres that have been influenced by it, there is no such thing as being too heavy on the bass drum. Basement Boys know this and whatever else they do, they hit the drums hard.
The instrumentation is prodigious throughout this album, but it's never the star simply because the percussion demands your attention. Piano and organ frequently join the rhythm section on tracks like "Everything's Gon' Be Alright", "Never Seen It Comin'" and "Pray for Me" with the effect of driving the songs' dance-ability factor through the roof. I dare you not to move to this record. Put it on and try standing absolutely still. You won't be able to manage it.
They dip into blues ("Hold On I'm Comin'") and latin ("Mamma's Spanish Joint"), but the album is mostly an incredibly upbeat jazz affair. Merge the music of the Harlem Renaissance with the rhythmic overdrive of a modern dancefloor and you have the overriding sensibility of Mudfoot Jones.
By C. W. Hall
THE PLAYERS
Mudfoot Jones- All Instruments and Vocals
Marcell Russell- Vocals %u201CNever Seen It Comin%u2019%u201D
Greg Thomas- Sax, Vocals
Bennie Cowan- Trumpet, Fluglehorn
Lafayette Gilcrest- Piano, Vibes, Piano Solos on %u201CMamma%u2019s Spanish Joint%u201D and %u201CEverything%u2019s Gon%u2019 Be Alright%u201D
Wayne Cooper- Guitars
Woodrow Jones- Vocals and Backgrounds
Gary Hudgins- Piano and Hammond B3 Solo on %u201CPray for Me%u201D
Teddy Douglas & Jay Steinhour- Drum Programming
Irvin Madden- Bass on %u201CHold On I%u2019m Comin%u2019%u201D
Victor Williams- Percussion
Produced, Arranged, Engineered, and Mixed by Teddy Douglas and Jay Steinhour for Basement Boys Productions
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