Katharine Ruestow’s debut album is full of heat: Think coffeehouse music gone wild. Although this album features Ruestow’s jazzy voice as well as her name for the title, Matt Grundstad did almost all the instrumentals and helped write the songs as well. So this eight-track album is truly a collaboration between the two artists.
Although Grundstad is most known as percussionist and vocalist in Euforquestra and Dubskin, he also has his own one-man band that’s been around for a few years, FUNKMA$TER, in which he plays drums, bass, keyboards, guitar and uses a looping device called an Electrix Repeater. Grundstad lends all of these talents to Ruestow, just as Ruestow lends her awe-inspiring voice to Grundstad.
Even though this album mainly fuses jazz, funk and soul, other musical genres are featured as well. In “Tonight,” an easygoing, smooth reggae twist fits in quite nicely with the carefree mood of the entire album.
With bongos, horns and Spanish-style guitar, “Come Back to Me” is a fine Salsa tune, as well as one of the best songs on the album.
Complaints about this album are few – the only thing truly lacking is the abruptness of many of the song endings.
All in all, this duo is up-and-coming and hot. Instead of coffee, think about listening to this album with a glass of wine.
Look out for Grundstad and Ruestow in the coming months – they will be touring around Colorado as well as the Midwest.
Comments are closed.