Calm Down Cologne

The first Garage A Trois album to feature the original lineup since 2005, 2021s Calm Down Cologne finds guitarist Charlie Hunter, saxophonist/keyboardist Skerik, and drummer Stanton Moore conjuring the kinetic, psychedelic funk-jazz of their early work. Since coming together in 1999, Garage A Trois have built a distinctive oeuvre, smashing together harmonically adventurous jazz improvisation, hard-driving funk grooves, and explosive sci-fi soundscapes. However, following 2005s Outre Mer, Hunter stepped away from the group, with keyboardist Marco Benevento and percussionist Mike Dillon taking his place. While that version of Garage A Trois was equally distinctive, it was easy to miss the edgy, fuzz-tone electric guitar bite that Hunter brought to their sound. Thankfully, the original lineup reunited in 2019, rekindling their fiery funk energy with a handful of live shows. Hoping to capture that energy on tape, they entered Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossards Studio Litho in Seattle, where they recorded live in one day with engineer Randall Dunn. Consequently, theres a stripped-down quality to the trios work on Calm Down Cologne. Its one thats built from the ground up as the New Orleans-bred Moore pushes his bandmates with colossal, tree-trunk beats. The album opens in hyper-drive fashion with No Zone, a nervy anthem marked by a neck-cracking James Brown rhythm, a buggy, radar guitar riff, and an acidic, dual sax and keyboard melody. At the center of the record is the boogaloo-infused title track, a bright, frenetic club song that brings to mind the volcanic avant-funk of artists like guitarist Sonny Sharrock and saxophonist Eddie Harris. Equally evocative moments crop up elsewhere, as on The Epic and the bluesy, Sanford and Son theme-sounding In-A-Pro-Pro, in which Skeriks eerie sax and Hunters wah-wah guitar bring to mind the avant-garde 70s space jazz of Herbie Hancocks Mwandishi band. The album ends in chilled-out style with the woozy, gothic hippie slow jam Numinous. Calm Down Cologne is a propulsive, textural, ear-grabbing experience. ~ Matt Collar