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
Black Fire cover

Black Fire

Andrew Hill
Man-Child cover

Man-Child

Herbie Hancock
Koma Saxo cover

Koma Saxo

Petter Eldh, Koma Saxo
Side Steps cover

Side Steps

John Coltrane
O’Neal’s Porch cover

O’Neal’s Porch

William Parker Quartet
Timewind cover

Timewind

Klaus Schulze
Playing cover

Playing

Charlie Haden, Ed Blackwell, Don Cherry, Dewey Redman
Heirloom cover

Heirloom

Lisa Ullén