Fall 2007
Mushroom with Eddie Gale
Joint Happening
(Hyena Records)
Back in the surface world, Mushroom takes on a completely different color standing next to the great jazz-funk-soul trumpeter Eddie Gale. Like Yesterday,Joint Happening is a groove sampler, running its fingers over a lot of different textures, but Gale’s joyful muse and bright sound can’t help turning the group inside out and facing them toward the light. Gale even inspires them to urgency in the churning “I Was Torn Down At The Dance Place—Shaved Head at the Organ.” (The frustrated lyricists in the group must have to put it all into their song titles.) Gale’s horn comes up golden from every stew the group dunks him in, from the electronics of “Border Crossing” (Click here to listen) to the heartbreaking sweet distorted woodwinds of "Peace" (Click here to listen). The final track, “The Spirit,” has a powwow-meets-bullring vigor only this unusual collaboration could have achieved. This twofer is best described in culinary terms. Mushroom with Levy: a little poisonous. Mushroom with Gale: Mmmmm.
--Lawrence Cosentino
Listen and read more about Joint Happening
