Big Beat: “Sounds Good, Feels Good” (2019) CD Review

Big Beat is a big band that incorporates soul and funk into its sound, and into its style, with some incredibly enjoyable results. The group was founded by bassist Charlie Dougherty, saxophone player Phil Engsberg, trombone player Caleb Rumley and pianist Ryan Tomski, and has since grown into a nineteen-piece monster of a band, featuring a whole hell of a lot of horns. These guys have put out a couple of EPs, and now have released their debut full-length album. Titled Sounds Good, Feels Good, this disc features mostly original material, along with a few cool covers. And what an apt album title, for these tracks sound so good and make me feel good too. I’m guessing they’ll have the same effect on most people. Gather some friends, put this album on, and enjoy.

The CD opens with “I Wanna Talk With You,” a delicious, kind of funky dance tune featuring horns and positive vibes. It was written by the band’s vocalist, Allison McKenzie. She sings, “All I really want is to be with you.” Well, all right then! I dig that section with percussion and that horn, reminding me of Honk! Festival back in Boston. This music has that feel, you know, like a celebration of humanity. We could use some sort of celebration these days, right? Things then turn mellower with a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Knocks Me Off My Feet,” a soulful pop tune from his Songs In The Key Of Life album. Caleb Rumley did the arrangement for this rendition, which focuses on Allison’s vocal performance and includes some great touches on horns. That’s followed by a cover of The Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back.” It’s a good version, with some nice play between Allison’s voice and the horns. My favorite part of this track, however, is that instrumental section in the second half which features some great stuff from the horn section, particularly on saxophone, as well as some excellent work on drums.

“Just Too Much” is a delicious jam to get you on your feet, composed by trombone player Caleb Rumley, who also conducted the band on this release. This is groovy, funky, and a serious amount of fun. Tremendous playing by all musicians, and oh man, that bass is making my world better. Then we get this cool section toward the end that has a looser vibe. This track has some great drumming, even a brief solo at the end, helping to make it one of my personal favorites on this album. I could listen to this all day. Then “It’s Love” begins tentatively, like the song is sneaking in. The first line is, “They say I’m crazy,” and, yeah, that explains the sneaky vibe. This crazy woman is not supposed to be here. But then she tells us, “It’s love.” Maybe, maybe. But maybe a restraining order is necessary. “They say I’m losing it/Just can’t seem to keep my grip.” This track is a cover, written and originally performed by Jill Scott. “I’ll Be Burning For You” follows. The horns are in control at the start of this one, then ease back for the entrance of Allison’s smooth vocals. I dig that section with just vocals and drums; that sort of thing has appealed to me since I was a kid, when pop songs by law had to include such a section. This track was written by Allison McKenzie, and arranged by Charlie Dougherty.

“All The Love” is a mellower, romantic number, also composed by Allison McKenzie. It features some nice work on flute, and builds in energy toward the end. Things then get kind of funky with “A Penny For Your Thoughts,” composed by Phil Engsberg. This track has a loose, kind of playful style, like it’s ready to try different avenues, and it features more great drumming, which I love. And then at a certain point in the second half it starts to rock, to really come together and move forward with a wonderful force. It does then relax again a bit as the track goes in another direction. The album closes with “Miss America,” a song about the opposing ways we feel currently about the country, and an undeniable need for change. I like the comparison of a certain segment of the population with vultures. Allison McKenzie wrote this song. “And I don’t know what to say/I don’t even know how to change it,” she sings at one point, voicing the frustration so many of us feel these days. But the song is positive, optimistic: “America, you’re beautiful/You’ve got work to do.”

CD Track List

1. I Wanna Talk With You
2. Knocks Me Off My Feet
3. I Want You Back
4. Just Too Much
5. It’s Love
6. I’ll Be Burning For You
7. All The Love
8. A Penny For Your Thoughts
9. Miss America 

Sounds Good, Feels Good was released on September 27, 2019.