FEETS DON'T FAIL ME NOW

Moving on as Herbie was want to do, here he enters full-on into the worlds of Disco and Urban R&B, still exploring technologies but with less adherence to his Jazz roots, more from a sense of staying relevant, of riding the elusive wave of popularity.

A1. "You Bet Your Love" (7:36) a fairly-simple and straightforward Disco song with a Michael Bublé-like jazz-crooner vocal over the top and active, animated posse of background vocalists (who perform arguably the best roles on the song). As with Sunlight, Herbie is proving that he has a rather nice, likable voice. The hand claps, slap bass, "horn" hits, and Fender Rhodes solo in the middle are great. (13.25/15)

A2. "Trust Me" (5:41) a gentle, laid back tune that makes me think of both the jazz crooners of the 50s and 60s as well as the Yacht Rockers emerging in the late 1970s like Barry Manilow, Boz Scaggs, Michael Franks, Al Jarreau, and Michael Walden. It's nice! Herbie's voice sounds so classic smooth crooner--very similar to that of Michael Bublé. (8.875/10)

A3. "Ready Or Not" (6:42) now here's a form of Disco that sounds more like that which will become bands like Parliament, The Isley Brothers, The Brothers Johnson, Chic, and even Prince (or, more accurately, Sheila E and the funk pop of the mid-to-late 1980s). Very contagious--and fun--especially, I would think, for the dance floor. (9.125/10)

B1. "Tell Everybody" (7:09) a Disco beat opens this one, setting up that which will become a Pop/R&B-Funk sound/song similar to those being played by bands like Rose Royce, Lipps, Inc., Rufus, Dazz Dazz, Atlantic Starr, and The Gap Band. Electronic percussion and horn sounds being experimented with. (despite the credits claiming that Bill Summers is the administrator of such sounds and play, it feels suspiciously like the work of the Escovedo family--especially Sheila E-- who are credited as contribution to the previous song. A song that will be remembered as a novelty song in an era when novelty songs were a common way to garner attention (and sales). (13/15)

B2. "Honey From The Jar" (6:51) take away the disco, rejoin the R&B slap-bass funk of Parliament, War, and The Ohio Players. Fun, funny, and entertaining but a long way from Jazz-Rock Fusion. (13.25/15)

B3. "Knee Deep" (5:39) applying distortional effects to all instruments--here drums and percussion as as well as using synthesized horns/brass exclusively. As a matter of fact, the song may be seen as an experiment in how to work with synthesized horns (despite the presence of Bennie Maupin with his soprano sax). The only song on the album whose funk is closer to Jazz-Rock Fusion than R&B or Disco.(9/10)

Total Time: 40:10

While I do like the music--found myself entertained and amused--I was really hoping from more vestiges of Jazz or Jazz-Rock Fusion in this Herbie album. Alas! He's evolved (for now) away from his roots. At the same time, I love that Herbie was so open--that his trajectory was one of adaptation and evolution rather than steadfast (and stubborn) conservation and preservation.

B/four stars; an excellent collection of funky Disco-and R&B-based songs. The album as a whole feels more driving by Herbie's propensity for experimentation with all that is "the latest": technology, stylistically, sonically.

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