Search - Jasper & Prodigal Suns :: People Get Ready

Funky, jazzy, rappin' and under-appreciated

The Delite Rancher | Phoenix, Arizona | 07/26/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's a bit of a mystery as to why Jasper & the Prodigal Suns never 'made it.' The music has so much going for it. The basic kernel of the sound is song oriented funky jazz fusion with singing or organic rapping. While this has been done before, the Prodigal Suns distinguished themselves with a unique sound. The phat bass, adventurous sax, strumming guitar and rockin' drums are accompanied by a steel drum. Mackey Burnette's steel pans make the Prodigal sound immediately identifiable. Then there's Jasper, the band's visionary. As with G. Love, Jasper sings and raps. Much of the lyrical content is Afrocentric from a Rastafarian perspective. A notable exception is the heartfelt "Sincerely Jasper," a father and son conversation. The overall lyrical content is thoughtful and spiritual. Put all of this together and imagine a jazz fusion group using a steel drum with a Rastafarian rapper/singer. Now you've never heard that before! Stylistically, the music on this short EP sounds like it could have been recorded in the "Everything Is Everything" LP session. It represents a brief but broad sampling of the Prodigal Suns. There are multiple guest rappers on 'The Free Style.' Strangely enough, the title track is perhaps the weakest song. 'Calypso' is an up-beat instrumental. If you want to try out Jasper, begin with "Everything Is Everything" and then get "People Get Ready" which is a funky, rappin' and jazzy trip to an under-appreciated place."