Review

Soulive: 1999 Getting Down At Hampshire College (Vintage League Music)

VLM get into some serious double dipping with the simultaneous release of this one, alongside the 21st birthday edition which is reviewed on this site also. It highlights one of Soulive's very first concerts and it's a damn fine indictment to boot.

Right from the off you can feel the chemistry materialise between these groove gurus. Alan Evans' levee braking drums give it that raw and street level hip-hop vibe (similar to Questlove) adding so much to the style of the band which is powerful and retains a real impact and force in music.

Eric Krasno's fluid jazzy runs are a delight too, giving this live album both context and thematic weight, glued by Neal Evans spry and muscular organ playing - what's not to like? There's an urgency in the music that keeps it fresh. There's twists and turns too, "Steppin'" kicks off in monstrous fashion and then distorts into a completely different groove. "Turn It Out", which comes in at a massive length of 14.08 secs, doesn't disappoint either and it too, morphs into some furious and bluesy, rockin' guitar.

Here you sense the seeds of a really cool band being sown. It also allows you to see where they came from and how fruitful of a journey it has been. This live album is fully realised and invigorating.
Words Emrys Baird