Rating: NNN
Considering their all-star lineup of jazz pianist Uri Caine, bassist Christian McBride and Roots drummer Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson, you’d think the Philadelphia Experiment might swing a little harder on this debut recording. The material’s all there. In addition to a few funky originals, the trio of Philly music freaks cover Sun Ra’s A Call For Demons, Marvin Gaye’s Trouble Man theme and, uh, Elton John’s Philadelphia Freedom. Energy and verve, though, are at a premium. The trio play well together but never really set it off like you know they can, content instead to simmer away and only occasionally let go. It’s as if the players didn’t want to upstage their day jobs. www.ropeadope.com
