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Northern California’s oddball post-bop quartet has at it again with a funked-up foray into original
sounds and retro fun. Why these guys haven’t been signed by a good-sized label yet is a mystery
one could ponder for days, but it’s best to just cut to the chase, take the song titles with a grain of
salt, and absorb hell out of the music.
The Sardonics’ sense of humor is immediately manifest on the opening track, which samples the
sounds of orchestral warm-ups before launching off into the funk. Ross Hammond’s limber guitar
underscores the light Latin beat of “Leroy’s Lemons.” Bassist Kerry Kashiwagi walks like a wild man
through “Chim-Chim’s Blues” (well worth getting past the goofy monkey-hoot intro) and builds
suspense on “You Tooka My Feesh.”
Things generally progress in like manner from there on, with the band getting off on the good foot
time and again in the spirit of hard bop and Blue Note funk. In the very end saxman Aaron Thurman
and Todd Temby drive off the cliff of free jazz, heading out in a cathartic blast of Aylerish glory. As
always, highly recommended.
Visit The Sardonics on the web.
~ Todd S. Jenkins
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Track Listing: The Ol’ Reacharound; Leroy’s Lemons; Chim-Chim’s Blues; One Tie/All Tie; ANOFT; You Tooka My
Feesh; Hey Uh… You Wannagimmeahand W/ This Thing?; Got Any Motor Oil?
Personnel: Aaron Thurman, tenor sax; Ross Hammond, guitar; Kerry Kashiwagi, bass; Todd Temby, drums.
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