Veteran Cincinnati Funk musician Freekbass is back with his first full-length since 2015’s Cincinnati. Released May 31, All the Way This. All the Way That. is the bassist/singer/songwriter’s first to be released via Color Red, a Colorado studio/collective/label founded by Welsh musician Eddie Roberts.
The All the Way This. side of Freekbass’ new album was tracked at Color Red’s in-house studio in Denver on an analog 8-track machine, which helps the LP seethe with Freekbass’ immersive live energy. The release features contributions from his current backing group, The Bump Assembly, and the material was further crafted with the help of, among others, a pair of former bandmates — guitarist Chris Donnelly (who played with Freekbass in Cincy Funk juggernaut SHAG) and Itaal Shur, the successful musician/songwriter/producer who played keys alongside Freek in the late ’80s/early ’90s band Sleep Theater and co-wrote Santana’s super-smash hit “Smooth” 20 years ago. Shur produced the All the Way That. side of the album.
Freekbass has perfected his distinct brand of Funk over the course of two decades, buoyed by the spirit of the genre’s architects (James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Parliament-Funkadelic, Sly and the Family Stone) and enlivened with contemporary elements like Hip Hop, modern Electro Funk and Neo Soul (thanks to the vibrant vocals of guest Sammi Garrett). The root influences are often front and center, but Freekbass updates the Funk foundation with the same kind of forward-thinking sensibilities heard in the music of current torch-bearers like Anderson .Paak, Chromeo and Childish Gambino.
Taken as a whole, the tight and dynamic rhythms of the album are hypnotic, putting the listener in an almost euphoric state by the end of the listening journey. A funky sonic kaleidoscope, All the Way This. All the Way That. is a logical next step in the rich and influential canon of Ohio Funk, the latest entry in the legacy anchored by Bootsy Collins and classic Dayton, Ohio path-blazers like Zapp, Slave and The Ohio Players.
Freekbass and The Bump Assembly will celebrate the new album’s release this Thursday, June 6 with a hometown show at Top Cats (2820 Vine St., Corryville, topcatscincy.com). Tickets for the 9 p.m. performances are $10.
The new album is available on Bandcamp for streaming or download; you can also order the album on vinyl through the site. You can also find the LP on most major digital platforms.
Visit fre3kbass.com for the latest Freekbass updates.
This article appears in May 29 – Jun 5, 2019.
