Ronnie Foster's debut album, The Two Headed Freap is a set of contemporary funky soul jazz from the early '70s, which means it sounds closer to the soundtrack of a lost blaxploitation flick than Back at the Chicken Shack, Pt. 2. Foster certainly does display a debt to Jimmy Smith, but his playing is busier than Smith's and a bit wilder. Ironic, then, that his playing is in service to the groove and blends into the mix of wah-wah guitars, funk rhythms, electric bass, harps, and percolating percussion. Everything on The Two Headed Freap is about glitzy groove -- it sounds cinematic, colorful, and funky. It's true that there is little real improvisation here and the songs all have a similar groove, but it's worked well, and the music is ultimately appealing to fans of this genre. Jazz purists -- even soul jazz purists -- will likely find this music a little monotonous and commercial, but fans of early-'70s funk from Sly Stone to Herbie Hancock will find something of interest here.
The Two Headed Freap
Ronnie Foster
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The Two Headed Freap Review
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Track Listing
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ronnie Foster | 04:53 | Amazon | ||||
2 | Ronnie Foster | 04:07 | Amazon | ||||
3 | Ronnie Foster | 04:22 | Amazon | ||||
4 | Ronnie Foster | 05:20 | Amazon | ||||
5 | Ronnie Foster | 04:54 | Amazon | ||||
6 | Ronnie Foster | 04:32 | Amazon | ||||
7 | Ronnie Foster | 04:14 | Amazon | ||||
8 | Ronnie Foster | 04:59 | Amazon |