| Jazz Funk |
Certainly, this is a drummer’s album, one where the drums stand unambiguously at the center of the stage. They drive every track with a muscular presence that sets the tone for a jazz-fusion project tinged with funk, one that, for all its rhythmic intensity, remains surprisingly pleasant and engaging to the ear. Conceived almost like a graphic novel in sound, the record takes listeners on a whimsical journey from one motif to the next, shifting with ease between atmospheres, locales, even cities, depending, of course, on how one chooses to interpret the stylistic detours and cultural inflections that thread their way through the music.
Yet for all its narrative charm, the record serves, above all, as something of a calling card for its creator: drummer and composer Joe Bowden, a musician who devotes himself here to unfolding increasingly complex structures from track to track. The concept is hardly revolutionary, it has been attempted countless times before, but the real intrigue lies not in the novelty of design but in the rhythmic ingenuity of Bowden’s writing, supported by a mix that proves unusually well-tailored to the demands of such a percussion-forward project.
The most unexpected delight arrives in the form of vocalist Robert Ball, who shines on the track Way Out. His performance is not only beautifully attuned to Bowden’s musical universe but also injects a refreshing breath of air into an atmosphere where the drum kit, though omnipresent, occasionally threatens to overwhelm. Here, Bowden reins himself in just enough, allowing Ball’s voice to glide seamlessly across the textures and strike a balance the album otherwise resists.
Bowden’s trajectory is itself notable. He began composing, producing, and recording in 2010, releasing his critically acclaimed debut, Voices In My Head, in 2012. More than a decade later, his sixth album, Music Is Life, arrives as the fullest expression yet of his artistic voice. Along the way, he has collected accolades that speak to both his craft and his cultural importance: the Pioneer Award at the 2018 African Nova Scotian Music Awards, and more recently, the Bucky Adams Memorial Award at the 2023 East Coast Music Awards. He has also become the accompanist of choice for a distinguished roster of jazz and R&B luminaries, including Gavin Hope, Beau Dixon, Divine Brown, Jackie Richardson, Alana Bridgewater, and the legendary Salome Bey.
In the end, the compositions here deliberately privilege rhythm over melody, a choice that makes perfect sense if one considers that the album seems designed above all to draw listeners to Bowden’s live performances, concerts where audiences come expecting, and demanding, a drum solo every few minutes. Those fans will not be disappointed. Listeners who prefer a more balanced form of jazz, however, may be less convinced. Still, there is room for every appetite in this music, and one cannot help but imagine how compelling Bowden might sound in a different context—perhaps within the tight funk arrangements of a band like Tower of Power, or in the exuberant spirit of New Orleans productions such as Trombone Shorty.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, August 22nd 2025
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Musicians:
Joe Bowden – Drums, Compositions
Warren Wolf – Vibraphone
Manuel Valera – Piano
Rich Brown – Electric Bass
Mike Downes – Acoustic Bass
Track Listing:
Impulse Response
Music is Life
Way Out
Spacing Out
Sunny Day
The Next Step
The Way
Wolf Ticket
Someday (bonus track)