Out on the Coast

The second album from Sure Fire Soul Ensemble contains a wonderfully broad variety of instrumental soul, soul-jazz, funk and cinematic R’n’B. Jeannie’s Getdown is lithe, fast-paced breakbeat funk with afrobeat-flavoured horns, Sunny Santa Ana perfectly recreates a late-sixties Atlantic Records soul instrumental, the Cymande-ish cool, detached horn lines and sharp chord changes on Lemon Grove Swamp also recall Kool & The Gang’s early seventies soul-jazz moments, the title track is a high tempo guitar and brass funk workout with gorgeous little jazz interludes and hot Hammond soloing, while Pigs Feet is a greasy, steamy, bluesy low tempo ensemble jam. Plenty to love here.