“…wealth of power & emotion and allowing each player to shine.”
Score: 
Old School Band is the new release from Dutch jazz guitarist/composer Marnix Busstra, and he’s teamed up with some pretty talented folks to help get this ‘old school’ sound, namely bassist Norbert Sollewijn Gelpke, organist Eric Van de Bovenkamp, and drummer Mark Stoop. Recorded live in a studio in the Netherlands and mixed in analog, Old School Band has a real classic vibe, as jazz mixes with rock, funk, and blues, the songs all containing a wealth of power & emotion and allowing each player to shine.
I can’t help but be reminded of John Scofield on so many of these tracks; not only does Busstra have a similar edge to his playing like the great ‘Sco’, but the band working together bring that similar jazz/blues/funk vibe to the table much like Scofield’s classic recordings. “Ten Euro Skunk” flashes with plenty of groove and Busstra’s tasty yet aggressive guitar licks, while “Gelpke’s silky smooth lead bass lines bridge the gap to a fiery yet classic solo from the leader and a blazing solo courtesy of Van de Bovenkamp on the majestic “So Solution”. “Medium Rare” rocks in spots thanks to some furious riffs from Busstra, while the band really bring out the funk on “Out of the incrowd”, recalling Scofield’s fiery interplay with Gov’t Mule a few years back. The smoldering “Too Hot Tub” is a nice blues/jazz slow burn with some tasty guitar and organ adventures, while more upbeat tracks such as “A Good Day” and “F*cking speedbumps” sees the band dive into upbeat, groove laden fusion territory, with each musician and especially Busstra playing up a storm on the latter.
Though there is PLENTY of guitar on Old School Band, this is indeed a ‘band’ album, and a furiously good one at that. Highly recommended to anyone who loves a great jazz band who aren’t afraid to bring along some funk, rock, and blues into the equation