Groove Collective - Declassified (1999)

Groove Collective's completely uninhibited, party-based jazz-funk is inspired by Sly Stone, acid jazz, hip-hop, salsa, Stevie Wonder, drum'n'bass, Parliament-Funkadelic, Fania -- that is, anything or anyone from the late '60s on who knew how to get down. Their fourth album overall finds the congregation in a most jubilant mood, happy to simply stretch out on a series of infectious singalong jams, starting with the openers "Up All Night" (which trades honking sax solos with some great stuttered drum programming) and "Everything Is Changing" (a shuffling disco stomp). With no less than 14 pieces in the group, it's obvious that Groove Collective shouldn't have any trouble filling spaces, and truth to tell, just about every song on Declassified bristles with so many ideas, solos, and licks that listeners may get dizzy without a few listens under their belt. "On a Feeling," the spotlight for rapper Nappy G, isn't exactly the tightest hip-hop joint ever heard, but the sheer instrumental and musical prowess abundant all over this album makes it a joy for all to hear. -- John Bush