From the British Invasion on, it has seemed that the hippest musical trends have come from London and vicinity, and Heavy Shift -- the groove intensive duo of saxman John Wallace and keyboardist Willie South -- continue the legacy into the realm of hip-hop meets cutting-edge jazz fusion on The Last Picture Show. Visualize the seamless soul of Matt Bianco mixed with easy doses of Massive Attack, Freak Power, and Weather Report, with some John Barry orchestral flair, and you pretty much have the vibe down. While each track is ... Read More
From the British Invasion on, it has seemed that the hippest musical trends have come from London and vicinity, and Heavy Shift -- the groove intensive duo of saxman John Wallace and keyboardist Willie South -- continue the legacy into the realm of hip-hop meets cutting-edge jazz fusion on The Last Picture Show. Visualize the seamless soul of Matt Bianco mixed with easy doses of Massive Attack, Freak Power, and Weather Report, with some John Barry orchestral flair, and you pretty much have the vibe down. While each track is hooky from the get-go, it's the hearty atmospheres behind the lead sax melodies which set this apart from most retro-vibe, acid jazz experiences. All sorts of cool sonic effects pop up, from splashes of Hammond organ and Rhodes to anthemic choir chants alternated with Barry White-like, trance-inducing rap sequences. The subtle mix of some of these flavors make repeated listening a must. Heavy Shift is part '70s soul, part '80s techno, and all hip '90s rolled into one, on par acoustically with recent pop-soul efforts by Maxwell and Sweetback. ~ Jonathan Widran, Rovi Read Less
