Brute Force in Bloomington, MN

Brute Force
was a
soul-jazz
band (slanted toward the
soul
end) that released a single self-titled album in 1970, produced by
Herbie Mann
. The band had a solid
sound, which could head into slightly more out territory, as well. The band and
Mann
had a stroke of genius when they decided to recruit the band's childhood friend and
bandmate
Sonny Sharrock
(who had also played with
Pharoah Sanders
at that point) to add some extra spice to the sessions. The results are so righteous and groovy, you'll wonder where this album has been for the last 30 years. Imagine the Black Panthers recording
Memphis Underground
and you're somewhere in the ballpark. Strong vocals on about half the tunes, great horn playing, dirty electric piano, killer two-bass grooves, and
Sharrock
's ultra-aggressive
playing make this album a solid winner.
fans will flip at this forgotten session, and DJs and crate-diggers everywhere would be well-served by picking this up. Right on, Brother! ~ Sean Westergaard