Fans of contemporary jazz and instrumental funk know Curtis Harmon from his work with the band Pieces of a Dream. The self-explanatory album Goin’ Places finds Harmon stepping away from Pieces of a Dream as a part of a duo called New Foundation that is collaboration with Bennie Sims. Longtime Pieces fans will hear much that sounds familiar on Goin’ Places. If anything, New Foundation dives deeper into Harmon’s funk roots. Goin’ Places is a record that explores the places where funk and rock intersect with jazz. That overlap is most visible on New Foundation’s interpretation of the Frankie Beverly and Maze classic “Before I Let Go.” The Harmon and Sims arrangement gives listeners an idea of what this cut would sound like if Frankie Beverly and Maze had a jam session with Ernie Isley and Grover Washington Jr.
Fans of passionate ballad singing will enjoy New Foundation’s hook-up with Phil Perry on the soulful tune “Keep Holdin’ On.” And “Get Away,” the album’s other vocal cut, showcases nicely the vocal work on Terea Anderson. On Goin’ Places, New Foundation finds a good balance by including enough of the familiar to attract long time Pieces of a Dream fans while also adding enough fresh elements to make this something special to a new group of fans.
Notable tracks: Yo Tengo Tango, Carried Away, Before I Let Go, Tonight I Creep
Vocals: 3.0
Lyrics: 3.0
Instrumentation: 3.0
Production: 3.0
Soultracks call: Recommended
By Howard Dukes
