THE SHUFFLE DEMONS – “Greatest Hits”
Stubby, 2004

Screwy jazz, funk, and comic novelties from an oddball Canadian band (3 saxes + bass & drums), recorded from 1986-1993. And they do it all so well! The band is really loose and punchy, a bit “out” at times but easy to love. This CD is packed, and I find it hard to pick favorites. Great stuff!

Fo’s picks: All. Seriously.

1. 5:59 – avant-funky sax slide with skronky solos, freakout ending, crowd noise
2. 4:17 – silly funk/rap with group vocals: about Toronto bus lines!
3. 7:18 – rolling groove with an African flavor, overlapping saxes, bass solo
4. 4:41 – cockroach song: skittery intro, JB funk horns with silly lyrics
5. 3:11 – famous TV theme, with some crazy hockey play-by-play in the middle!
6. 5:14 – (FCC: “shit”) fun 3-way rapped story about a gig in East Berlin
7. 4:14 – stompin’ blues, a universal gripe about local politics. Great vocals/lyrics.
8. 4:08 – uptempo jazz-funk romp; much honking, stuttering drum break
9. 4:39 – goofy country song about beer: a cappella intro, then slow honky-tonk
10. 4:01 – funky strut, semi-rapped lyrics about bread & cheese
11. 2:53 – upbeat funk, goofy rap about pumpkins of all things…
12. 4:21 – bluesy with skewed bop bits; weird & wild vocal about personal ads
13. 2:11 – wacky a cappella country song about getting’ lucky in the Yukon [live]
14. 4:58 – midtempo modern-jazz instrumental, mix heavy on the bass & drums
15. 4:57 – stompin’ beat, horn riffs turn into free-funk jam, very strange voc break
16. 3:03 – fast groove over breakneck drums, dance-party lyrics, squealin’ sax solo
17. 8:58 – weirdo live poetry improv, starts like a Gregorian chant, has a great section where everyone’s shouting “corned beef on rye!” over drums. (extended crazy drum break later on, too, then fun horns ‘til end)

[Fo] 4/12/06