May 12 2012

Music Critic Shane Halbach’s Review of “Volume 1″

REPOSTED FROM: “Is This Thing On” written by Shane Halbach

 

 

The Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown

Awhile ago I blogged about Digital Underground and how they led me to George Clinton and Funk in general. On the strength of that article, I was contacted by bassist John Heintz who was wrapping up a new project with said funk legend George Clinton: a new funk “supergroup” known as The Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown.

When John asked me if he could give me a “sneak peek” at the album before it was released, I naturally jumped all over it.

It’s hard to say The Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown is a group (it’s hard to classify The Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown at all actually); it’s more a rotating collaboration between anybody who has dabbled in any way with Funk. From the superstars to the up and coming, from P-Funk to The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, from Kool and the Gang to Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band. (I’m sorry, but how are you not going to listen to someone named Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band?) In fact, the collaboration includes almost 100 musicians in total.

Therefore, it is not surprising that there’s something for everyone on the album. Seriously, there are so many different styles, so many different instruments, so many different types of vocals, so many musicians who are just frankly at the top of their game, that it would be hard for anybody to say there wasn’t something they liked in there.

“College Funk” won Funk/Groove song of the year at the 2011 Hollywood Music in Media Awards, but for my money, “Room 2012″ was the best track. Again, there’s a lot of variety, which runs from “Platinum”, which is more of your typical Funk song, to wailing steel guitars on “Wake Me Up” (side note, Ralph Roddenberry’s vocals knock it out of the park there).

I gave the album to a co-worker of mine who happens to be a jazz saxophonist, and whose musical opinion you should trust a lot more than mine, and he liked it. In fact, I told John I would not blog about The Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown unless I genuinely liked the music. I’m blogging about it now. What does that tell you?

Volume 1 by The Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown releases this month.

May 10 2012

*NEW* Free Download from the Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown “Volume 1″

With the release of “Volume 1″ right around the corner and “Volume 2″ in the works, many exciting things are happening in the Getdown’s world. We are giving away “Room 2012″ from “Volume 1″  between now and May 22nd. Please make sure to tell a friend about us.  Help spread the word about this free download, our website and anything else you care to share.  Your voices carry!!  Many Thanks and Enjoy “Room 2012″

Click here for free download: http://soundcloud.com/jheintzbass/sets/room-2012-free-download/