Down To The Bone Back After 12 Years
“Dig It” was their last album in 2014. We’re still vibing to “Staten Island Groove” and “Brooklyn Heights” from their debut album “From Manhattan To Staten” (1996) and “Joy Is A Good Groove” from their second album “The Urban Grooves” (1998). Dome Records put out their first three albums with bonus tracks back in 2019. “This Way Forward”, the 11th album to date by Down To The Bone, came out in early June on Dome Records. The reason why I’m a bit late on this particular release is a remix by cult DJ and producer Opolopo. He reworked one of the tracks from the album which features vocalist Natasha Watts. He put his indelible mark on “Feels So Good”, making the extremely funky original even more fascinating with additional claps, extra boogie-flavored keys/synths, and a bright and stunning house-induced production. The remix also has a shorter radio version and an instrumental and will come out this Friday (31st). Natasha is also on the mic for the heavy 70s Roy Ayers-sounding “Sending You Love (Parts 1&2). Stuart Wade, producer, writer, and creative mind behind the group, is still on board here, programming and playing percussion as well as composing all of the tracks. Anders Olinder is responsible for the jazzy vibes here and the track is heavy on percussion and horns too.
Natasha can be heard on two more tracks: the disco-fied “Shining”, once again with great brass work courtesy of James Arben (sax, fl), Piers Green (sax), Tim Smart (tb), and Ryan Jacob (tp). The track features a fancy sax solo by Piers. “Ella’s Groove”, a trombone-featured jazz-funk piece, has her sha-la-la-ing breezily through the track. Really dig the keys on this one. The album opens with “Get Up And Dance” which features the great Hil St. Soul on vocals. Her rich voice graces and embraces the excellent soul/dance/jazz/funk piece with lots of style and enough salt and pepper. And then the album features another singer: Guida de Palma, brainchild of the London-based Jazzinho project, is behind the latinized “Bird Of Paradise”, bringing some more exotic flavor to the set, like she does on the sparkling “You See Me”.
Rounding up the 10-song set are three instrumentals: “The Special Branch” has more of a rockier touch with some mean flute, “Hermosa Bump” boasts with a sexy shuffle, and album closer “Umph!” makes you want to go on repeat.
