Brass Mimosa, “Stay Sharp” (Independent)

brassmimosaOriginally, Lafayette’s Brass Mimosa was aiming at the blues rock market. But when Alex Camel switched to bass from guitar, allowing its bassist (now departed) to play guitar, it evolved into a jazz funk jam vibe influenced by the likes of Snarky Puppy, Lettuce, Herbie Hancock and Galactic. Recorded at Dockside and engineered by Tony Daigle, the septet’s auspicious debut features eight tracks and 69 minutes of high-energy instrumental originals that shifts, swirls and stretches at a dizzying pace, never staying in one place for long. Hard-edged intros segue into tense build-ups that drop into serene, chill moments that lead into hip swing sections before converging to the initial riff that was the root of it all. A few measures of that and before you know it, Brass Mimosa is off onto a different mind-bending excursion. It’s a dense listen with lots to absorb with the three-piece horn section (sax, bari sax and trombone), electric guitar, keys, bass, drums and a guest percussionist all swapping solos and riffs while bouncing between jazz, blues, rock and funk. At times it’s mind-blowing how much is packed into an arrangement—a perfect soundtrack to get lost in.