An Ordinary Day in an Unusual Place may have a tough act to follow in Us3's massive 1993 hit Hand on the Torch, but Geoff Wilkinson's two new vocal recruits add at least one new dimension to the group's music. An Ordinary Day also places additional emphasis on real-time playing, relying less on the samples which powered Us3's earlier work. At the beginning there are fun tracks exploring personal politics, before the scope gradually widens to tackle grim social issues. The fun section strikes hard with "Get Out", Alison Crockett emoting on the Shirley Bassey scale, swiftly chased by "You Can't Hold Me Down", where fellow New Yorker Michelob raps lubriciously over inspired Indo-Latino fusion. Crockett's back again for the equally arresting "Let My Dreams Come True", banging piano chords leading a horn-exploding salsa sprint. Michelob takes a minimalist rap lope with "India" and "Dead End Street", really devouring the rhyming meat by the time he gets to "World No More". Meanwhile, Crockett makes "Sittin' on My Park Bench" sound like Prince's "Sign O' the Times", then criss-crosses lines over a lunging bass on "Pay Attention", which is surely a contender for single release.
Martin Longley Amazon.co.uk
This 2001 release features shorter samples, stronger tunes & a greater emphasis on songwriting. London based producer Geoff Wilkinson, the driving force behind Us3, has delivered his most exciting & significant project yet.
www.bigcd.com
I was amazed at how a man can update his quasi-Tribe Called Quest sound of the '90s so seamlessly is beyond me. Wilkinson does it with ease.
Louise Brown "The Charlatan"
Cool breaks and fusion-dabbled rapping.
Prague Tribune
The adventurous groove has evolved in a more streamlined form of truncated samples woven into infectious songs. Great CD.
Graham Radley "Net Rhythms"
A creative and intelligent mixture of soul, salsa, hip-hop and jazz. The sound of this unclassifiable group is always hot, efficient and eclectic.
Montreux Jazz
