Dazz Band - Here We Go Again (1998)

These basslines are good enough to make you think a P-Funk platter got misplaced in the Dazz Band's jewel case. Producer/singer/bassist/songwriter Nathaniel Phillip and Bobby Harris create the most satisfying Dazz Band set ever on this one. They're joined by Skip Martin (lead vocals and trumpet), Kevin Kendricks and Michael Norfleet (keyboards), Marlon McClain (guitar), Kenny Pettus (percussion), and Raymond Calhoun (drums). Teri Stanton provides lead and background vocals, along with Martin, Pettus, Harris, and George Clinton. Original member Pierre DeMudd and Keith Hanes contribute backing vocals. Pettus had been the band's lead singer on 20th Century Fox Records, but didn't participate in the Motown recordings. An even mixture of funk, rap, jazz, and soul will keep you from skipping tracks. Dazz takes on Bootsy Collins' ballad "I'd Rather Be With You" and removes the rough edges, making the newly titled "I Wanna Be With You" more seductive and ten times lusher than the original. "Downstairs Lounge" is a sweet piece of well-executed fusion from the crew that was originally known as Kinsman Dazz. Clinton only appears on a couple of tracks, but his influence is evident throughout. If you're expecting "Let It Whip" or "Joy Stick," you might be disappointed -- for a minute. Martin's overly dramatic ballads are missing, though "Oh What a Night" (not the Dells' classic) comes close. The Dazz Band has matured into a group of perfectionists and gets closer to creating its masterpiece with each release.