De Phazz ~ Natural Fake
De Phazz is the
project of German producer Pit Baumgardner and assorted guest musicians. Natural
Fake is situated firmly in the musicianly, groovy end of acid jazz territory.
Everything’s sharply honed, highly polished and good natured, but it’s
also occasionally a little cheesy. The album begins in mellow style with a
gently hypnotic figure picked out on acoustic guitar. A muted trumpet growls
melodically as ambient sounds surface and fade away. The result is a feeling
of benevolence like that experienced at the end of a hot summer’s day.
The same could be said of the 17 tracks that follow: silky smooth vocals complement
funky bass and catchy rhythms. Natural Fake isn’t as cutting edge as
Jazzanova or as unpredictable as Outside, but for fans of Brooklyn Funk Essentials,
D-Influence and much of the output of the Dorado label, De Phazz should be
a refreshing addition to the stable.
Colin Buttimer
April 2005
Published by Jazzwise magazine