If there is one rather unsung hero among the pioneering guitar luminaries of the 1960s that has left quite a long-lasting legacy in terms of songwriting and style, it must be Robbie Krieger of THE DOORS. Yeah, perhaps he did not revolutionize guitar playing like Jimi Hendrix did but he can boast one hell of a track record; not only is he a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and a pedigree acolyte of poetic revolt and dark, Dionysian rock, but his previous full-length “The Ritual Begins at Sundown” (2020) also showed me an entirely new facet of his versatility by traversing the surrealistic landscape of jazz – and with flying colors, I would certainly add. Sure, I’d had my intense hyper-fixation phase with THE DOORS around the time of that seminal Oliver Stone movie in the early 1990s, so the leap from the dark, psychedelic rock’n’roll cabaret to jazz didn’t exactly come as a surprise. Yet, the sublime level of execution was something that caught me totally unaware. Then, I found out that, since the 1970s, Krieger had emerged as a successful jazz-fusion guitarist with an impressive catalog of solo albums, including the Grammy-nominated full-length, “Singularity” (2010). Now, as luck would have it, the maestro is back with the new band, ROBBIE KRIEGER AND THE SOUL SAVAGES, with their eponymous debut set for release on January 19th, 2024, via The Players Club / Mascot Label Group. This selection of ten new songs plunges further into the realm of soulful jazz and dirty blues, while paying homage to the noir-ish roots of THE DOORS. Lucky for us who have cultivated an affinity for those celebrated ”Robby-isms” – that is, the slinky, funk-inspired rhythm work, that silky-smooth Wes Montgomery-style octave playing, and those sublime slide-guitar chops – this new album is brimming with these sorts of tasteful fretboard gymnastics. This new lineup is comprised of world-class players who have worked with legends, such as Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, and Lenny Kravitz. So, unsurprisingly, the execution is top-notch.
“Shark Skin Suit” sets the ball rolling with instrumental, funky jazz vibes. I’m pretty sure Krieger isn’t familiar with this one peculiar Finnish jazz trio from the late 1990s, BURN!, which was comprised of Pekka Lehti, Pessi Levanto, and Teppo Mäkynen. Still, the vibe is so similar that he must have been inspired by the same source or something. The bassline along with the beat is deliciously fat, just like on those cherished George Clinton-fronted PARLIAMENT records from the 1970s. Keyboardist Ed Roth drops some wicked, funky licks and Krieger delivers his signature chops, with the slide work echoing nice ”Waiting For the Sun” vibes from THE DOORS songbook.
Next, “Samosas & Kingfishers” gears up on Middle-Eastern vibes. Maybe it’s just me but I reckon this song would fit rather nicely on the soundtrack of some detective story set in the 1970s; you know, there is always that scene where the protagonist walks in the city streets, in the neon groves of the night, with his bell-bottom trousers fluttering in the wind while he is contemplating something – this song echoes that sort of sentiment spot on. Why the 1970s? I don’t know – maybe the feeling stems from the choice of guitar tone paired with the Hammond chops.
Krieger‘s previous outing was heavily influenced by Frank Zappa‘s eclectic fusion sound, whereas this new selection traverses a tad less freaky sonic terrain. That said, after the mellow jazz-funkathon of “A Day in L.A.,” the mood changes quite remarkably with the track, “Killzoni,” branching out to an almost Miles Davis-like realm, of the “Bitches Brew” variety, although with a tad less unhinged approach. The Rhodes piano cascades sound particularly nice, let alone the extremely funky basslines, courtesy of Kevin Brandon.
The rest of the album does not throw in any more surprises, except maybe for the nice 1960s lounge-music pastiche of “Contrary Motion” and the straight-up blues number, “Blue Brandino.” I mean, at least I wasn’t mentally prepared for these sorts of mood swings amidst all this funky jazzing out. Then again, looking back at Krieger‘s track record, particularly his years in THE DOORS, I should have known to expect something of these sorts.
Toward the end of the album, I also sense some kindred spirit with the British prog squad, THE TANGENT, especially in the tracks, “Ricochet Rabbit” and “Never Say Never,” the latter of which features rather spirited Rhodes work by Roth. I almost kind of miss THE TANGENT frontman Andy Tillison‘s sarcastic one-liners here and there.
If there is one thing to complain about the album, it is perhaps the song order. I would perhaps have opted for “Killzoni” to do the honors of bringing closure to the album instead of the mellow jazz-funk piece, “Math Problem.” Then again, I have a reputation for having a bias in favor of all sorts of weird and eclectic stuff. Now, the closer is a mid-tempo riff origami with a good sense of drive. I guess it works for most but I would rather have chosen to go off with a full-tilt chaos. This minor blemish notwithstanding, this new Robbie Krieger offering is a class-A selection of funky, instrumental jazz-rock. Just like his previous 2020 outing, it probably has more bang for the buck on offer to die-hard jazz aficionados than those aging THE DOORS fans who survived the lysergic hippie days of yore.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Shark Skin Suit
- Samosas & Kingfishers
- A Day in L.A.
- Killzoni
- Contrary Motion
- Never Say Never
- Bouncy Betty
- Ricochet Rabbit
- Blue Brandino
- Math Problem
Lineup
Robbie Krieger – guitars
Kevin “Brandino” Brandon – bass
Ed Roth – keyboards
Franklin Vanderbilt – drums
Label
The Players Club / Mascot Label Group
