Cong Fusion: The World as We Know It

Rating: ★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Alan Shorty (f, s)
Ryan McCafferey (ky)
Flo Moor (b)
Joe Malone (d)
Tom Ridout (ts)
Andrew Seeman (perc)
Rowan Porteous (t)

Label:

Self-release/Bandcamp

March/2022

Media Format:

DL

RecordDate:

Rec. ‘one week in lockdown…’

If you’ve heard Flo Moor sneaking round the complexities of an Allan Holdsworth song in an easesome style, or replicating Pastorious on Weather Report covers – or indeed lending support to various vocalists on the splendid British Standard Time, it’ll be no surprise to hear she is the fluid heart of this frolicsome debut from Cong Fusion. Don’t be fazed by that moniker: there’s no allusions here to Cuong Vu or Zappa’s ‘King Kong’. The fusion here is more late era soul-jazz Horace Silver, plus Afro-Cuban beats and even Tom Scott’s LA Express. Ryan McCaffery is the band’s principal writer, with much of the material developed as he graduated from Birmingham’s Royal Conservatoire. Played with pep, notably by Ridout (a little of the Skidmores in that tone, though with the edges chamfered off), there’s promise a-plenty here, and doubtless a less referential sound will shortly follow.

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