AMG Review of Party Hats

Matt Collar
All Music Guide

Guitarist Will Bernard continues to crank out the knotty and cerebral funk jams on 2007's Party Hats. Falling somewhere between the low-key '60s soul trio vibe of Medeski, Martin & Wood and the uptempo, fiery swagger of Maceo Parker, Party Hats is a soulful, good-time album that should please fans of both blues-oriented funk and post-bop improvisation. Joining Bernard here is a stellar backing ensemble of longtime cohorts, including tenor saxophonist Peter Apfelbaum, Hammond organist Wil Blades, drummers Jan Jackson and Paul Spina, and others. Interestingly, Bernard has struck a nice balance between tight James Brown-esque horn section moments and more open-ended improvisational moments. To these ends, tracks like the expansive and propulsive "Ripple Sole," the '70s-influenced blaxploitation slow burner "Chin Up," and the acid country-jazz of "Newbie" make for both obscenely funky background music and intellectually engaging jazz head trips. This CD was nominated for a Grammy award in 2007 for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.