From The Rooftops

Funk Ark, The
Esl Music
General | Nov 2011

Reviews

Sadie O.
Reviewed 2011-12-16
The Funk Ark – From the Rooftops
Reviewed by Sadie O., 12/16/11
Afro-Jazz-Funk big band from DC. Mostly instrumentals, with lots of horns, keyboard and percussion. Drawing influences from African and Latin music, but mostly really just FUNKY. Combines a jazz ensembles intellectualism with a booty-shaking funk groove. What’s not to love?
1. 4:32 ***relaxed, swingy sashay, a bit downtempo, horn section and farfisa. Awesome baritone sax solo.
2. 3:57 ***stuttering guitar intro, uptempo but swingy and danceable – you can tell there’s a mashup of Afro-Latin elements.
3. 4:00 ****super-mambolicious Afro-jazz percussion, upbeat and War-like. Extra cool! Hip Hop vocals, all about DC.
4. 4:25 ***lopsided but bitchen midtempo hip wiggler.
5. 3:52 ***mellow midtempo jazzy Latin groove, lots of horn action, farfisa solo.
6. 5:16 ****uptempo with cowbell and big percussion – sounds like a long-lost War track. Which is a very high compliment!
7. 3:46 ****sweeet uptempo and complex syncopation, focus on keyboards, significant soul macossa component, lovely blatty sax.
8. 4:31 ****funky strut with great bass sound, double-time guitar and keyboard. Just niiiice.
9. 4:35 **downtempo and relaxed with a smooth jazz vibe. It’s relaxing me to sleep, actually.
10. 3:47 ***a bit uptempo, syncopated, Afro-jazz to the fore.

Recent airplay

A Blade Won't Cut Another Blade
funk to folkOct 28, 2014
From The Rooftops
(12:32 p.m.) Horchata
From The Rooftops
Horchata

Charting

2011-12-18 — 2012-02-19
Week EndingAirplays
Feb 19 3
Feb 12 2
Feb 5 3
Jan 29 3
Jan 22 4
Jan 15 3
Jan 1 2
Dec 25 3

Track listing

1. A Blade Won't Cut Another Blade
2. Diaspora
3. Funky Dc (Featuring Asheru And Sitali)
4. El Beasto
5. Carretera Libre
6. Horchata
7. Katipo (The Spider)
8. From The Rooftops
9. Pavement
10. Power Struggle