Soule Monde: Smashed World
When Hammond B3 funk-master Ray Paczkowski and soulful beat-keeper Russ Lawton aren’t sharing the stage with Trey Anastasio as part of the Phish frontman’s namesake solo outfit, the pair performs as Soule Monde. On Smashed World, their all-instrumental debut EP, the driving grooves that make the organist and drummer such indispensable forces in TAB—the former has been with Anastasio since 2001, the latter since the band’s incubation in ‘98—charge right to the fore. The first number, “Influence,” will have you bopping in your seat within seconds, as Paczkowski and Lawton lock in early and follow each other down several high-energy paths that ends in an explosive keyboard-led peak around the 3:30 mark. No surprise here: The best track is a live one (“Allah Uya”), with eight-plus minutes of magical jamming delivered by two players who have been reaching new heights together for over a decade. The five songs and 32 minutes zoom by in a funky flash, and you’ll be running to catch them on the road. This is jazz that knows how to boogie.