Charlie Apicella & Iron City
Sparks
CArlo Music Records
From the moment the first notes of the Steve Cropper and Don Covay classic, "Sookie, Sookie", come blaring out of the speakers I knew that I was going to have to buckle myself in for a hell of a ride. The thrills never let up and the tempo, for the most part, is brisk with lots of groove.
The core trio are Charlie Apicella on guitar, Dave Matlock on organ, and Alan Korzin on drums. The trio is tight and really know how to lock into a groove. The bass work by Matlock is never boring and was quite impressive as it never detracted from the organ playing. Korzin ably keeps the groove moving even while the others are soloing and yet his playing is never boring. I was impressed by his variation, he never seems to be playing stock rhythms and indeed, plays his entire kit.
Charlie Apicella & Iron City have a sound that owes a great debt to the classic organ combos of the 1960's. The choice of cover songs demonstrates this predilection with tunes penned by Grant Green, ("Blues in Maude's Flat"), Dr. Lonnie Smith, ("Play It Back"), and Lou Donaldson, ("Caracas"). That is not to say that this band is purely retro or unoriginal, the band even take a stab at Michael Jackson's, "Billie Jean". Apicella plays with an aggression that owes as much to rock players as it does to Grant Green. At times I found myself thinking that Joe Satriani would not be out of place soloing with Apicella. There is a down-home boogie in Apicella's playing that fits both the songs here and is a modern take on jazz guitar. I found his style to be unique, but not unfamiliar. The use of violin on "Sookie, Sookie" and the Apicella original, "Sweet and Sounded" is something that I had not heard with organ before. Again, the music is definitely grounded in the aesthetic of the 1960's organ combo, but the violin had the effect of giving the songs an air of gypsy jazz. Guest saxophonist Stephen Riley must have spent many hours playing with this trio in the past, as his tone meshed perfectly with both Apicella's and Dave Matlock's organ. This gives thematic unity to the soloing and makes the transition between solos less jarring.
Sparks is a hot album and if you are a fan of the classic organ combos from days gone by or just a fan of groovy music, then by all means check out. Just be sure to keep this one away from open flames as it is most likely to ignite.
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