Review: Funkwrench Blues - Mischief In The Musitorium (Need To Know Music)

Can you imagine "Ornette Coleman meets King Crimson in a New Orleans warehouse - wild, unboxed, and unapologetically bold"?

If you can, you're not going to be far off Funkwrench Blues' 'Mischief In The Musitorium'.  With Frank Swart (bass/producer) managing to assemble a truely "All-Star" line-up including Lenny White (Miles Davis, Return to Forever), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Nduduzo Makhathini, Jason Marsalis, Donald Harrison, Hamid Drake, Guitar Shorty, Adam Holzman, G Calvin Weston (Ornette Coleman), Grant Green Jr., and Joseph Bowie, the album pushes the boundaries of groove-based improvisation along with alt-jazz blues and funk.

So you've got Ornette is a sort of King Crimson group (probably in their 'Earthbound priod when Mel Collins was on various saxes) in a We Jazz 'Big Band' where Billy Jenkins (of South London) and Fripp (of Dorset) at guitars from various angles over the nine tracks including a tribute to Jeff Beck and Ornette.

The opener, 'Reflections of the Future' is very fusion, as you'd expect with Lenny White of board, but it showcases Nduduzo Makhathini in a Return To Forever way (for a variation on this, check 'Suite for Chick - see review HERE).  And talking of fusion, the track 'Mr Coleman' is lead by Reid a la Jeff Beck's 'Wired' period.  All the tracks are quality but 'Funk-ish' is a bit of a winner with Jason Marsalis on vibes (but why the fade out?), 'Ode To Jeff Beck' and Joseph Bowie (DEFUNKT etc) leading on 'America The Brutal'.

We (well the YATM office) tend to think that London is the exciting alt-jazz hub (with the likes of Kokoroko, Yussef Dayes, Nubya Garcia, Shabaka Hutchings et al) but Swart has played with such a huge range of artists over the part 50 years, hence the super-group contacts book.  So no better person to look out for if you want his alt-Funk, Avant-garde Jazz, Free Funk, Free Jazz, Free Improvisation, Fusion, Funkwrench Blues style - there's mischief in this musitorium!

Artist: Funkwrench Blues

Title:  Mischief In The Musitorium

Release date: 15th August, 2025

Label : Need To Know

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: Digital  

PS. King Crimson fans circa 2015 era, look out for King Crimson at Symphony Hall Birmingham, UK, September 15, 2015, Hackney Empire, London September 8, 2015, Tivoli Vredenburg, Utrecht, September 24, 2015 and possibly more out now - somebody has to pay for Fripp's Greenhouse extension (planning permission pending?)