As the likes of Hot 8, Hypnotic and Youngblood have shown over the past decade or so, the brass band is still a vital fixture on the landscape of black music in the 21st century. This Italian ensemble, led with impressive brio by baritone saxophonist Dario Cecchini, is a notable addition to the pack and, as the name Funk Off suggests, it is no by no means coy about its raison d'etre. A guest appearance by JBs legend Fred Wesley simply underlines that. Being a 15-piece ensemble they generate a fair amount of power and there are several arrangements on this lively album where the seven reeds come into their own, especially when the scores lean more to a big band aesthetic rather than a purely marching band/street parade vocabulary. Having said that, a lot of the material is a touch on the pedestrian side and the interplay between the sections could have shown greater ambition. So, enjoyable as the music is, there is a lingering feeling that more could have been made of the substantial resources that the band has at its disposal. Funk Off would no doubt make a rabble-rousing live act, but how they translate the energy of the stage to the studio and effectively nuance it to ensure repeat listening remains to be seen.