Mandance cover
Released

The fourth Decoding Society studio album, and the second with the Vernon Reid/Melvin Gibbs/Reverend Bruce Johnson lineup, expands the horn section: saxophonists Zane Massey and Lee Rozie are joined by trumpeters David Gordon and Henry Scott (they play on different tracks). The group’s taut, busy funk has more of a rock edge sometimes; the aptly titled “Spanking” is a burst of blaring horns, punk-rock shredding and rhythmic battery. It’s mixed like a hard rock record, too, thanks to engineer Ron St. Germain. But when Vernon Reid switches from guitar to banjo (“Iola”), a West African feel blows through the room like a cool breeze. Jackson’s drumming, as ever, is a nonstop roll of thunder — the fact that there’s still room for everyone else to be heard is some kind of miracle.

Phil Freeman

Recommended by

Suggestions
Street Priest cover

Street Priest

Ronald Shannon Jackson & the Decoding Society
Isle of Grain cover

Isle of Grain

One More Grain
Perfection cover

Perfection

Murray, Allen & Carrington Power Trio
Body and Soul cover

Body and Soul

David Murray Quartet
Eye of I cover

Eye of I

James Brandon Lewis
Carnival Conspiracy cover

Carnival Conspiracy

Frank London's Klezmer Brass Allstars
Native Dancer cover

Native Dancer

Wayne Shorter, Milton Nascimento
Shuffle and Deal cover

Shuffle and Deal

Eddie Henderson
Melaza cover

Melaza

Scorch Trio
Pillars cover

Pillars

Tyshawn Sorey