Album Review: FUNK by Keller Williams with More Than a Little

Keller Williams was like a gateway drug and over the years we have watched him solidify his place in the scene.  These days Keller is throwing down with a full funky band that calls themselves More Than a Little after a classic Keller tune.  Their recently collaborative release, conveniently titled Funk, is made up of ten live recordings that display exactly what this project is all about.  The four piece band, along with some sassy female vocals, showcases a side of Keller that many fans have been waiting to hear. The album Funk kicks off with a vocal bass line that gets everyone on Keller’s level.  It is followed up by backup singers, keys, an actual bass and live drums that hit you upside the head right from the get go.  The first tune of the album is a comical Flight of the Conchords cover, “I Told You I Was Freaky”.  As the first track continues, shit gets weird, and you are taken into the crazy domain of freak funk.  It serves as a warning to all that this album is going to be filthy nasty, so be prepared to get weird. The second tune rolls out of the first with a jazzy jam thick with keys and drum breaks.  The Keller classic “More Than a Little” is true to its title.  This tune is the definition of what this project is all about.  Keller leads the group as they slink from one verse to the next, eventually agreeing in unison: “Now that’s funky!” Keller’s band taps into the roots of funk and the album captures the energy of their live performance perfectly.  “I Feel Love” starts with a disco tease of Madonna’s “Vogue”.  Keller then takes the lead, calling the shots as the soulful vocalists follow suit.  The tune continues to hopscotch between disco and soul before it finally lands in an era of disco funk and settles in for a nice long jam. Overall, the album’s cover songs prove Keller Williams has mastered the art of reinterpretation.  He already has his own special way of putting a spin on things and the addition of the funk band brings this experience to a whole other level.  A jazzy version of the Talking Heads’, “Once in a Lifetime” includes reverb vocals that complement Keller’s beatnik delivery of the song’s lyrics.  The album also contains a tribute to Rick Jame’s “Mary Jane”, a metaphorically iconic tune that is the funkiest of the funk.  If you still need convincing, check out “West LA Fadeaway” as it was performed at Summer Camp Music Festival in 2013.  Keller puts his own funky spin on this Dead tune and has a few special guests to help seal the deal…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PRc6BQxbBk Needless to say, the soulfulness of these performances shines through every track of Funk.  Better yet, funky could be the most sustainable version of Keller to date! As your CIT, I highly recommend checking out Funk.  Then go see Keller Williams with More Than a Little perform live while you still have the chance!  The most recent tour is being billed as “What the Funk” and Keller will be playing two sets of music at every show.  The first set will be a solo one-man-band performance and the second set will be the full band experience with More Than a Little. Click here for Keller’s upcoming tour dates! Click here to buy Funk!]]>