Dennis Chambers: Outbreak

Drummer Dennis Chambers may be renowned the world over for his powerful style and extraordinary versatility, but when he began working on Outbreak (ESC), his first American recording as a leader, he decided to eschew flashy solos in favor of just playing grooves. Chambers-whose resume includes stints with John Scofield, Parliament-Funkadelic, Santana and Mike Stern, to name just a few-is joined by several well-known friends, including Scofield, Michael and Randy Brecker, Will Lee, Jim Beard (who also produced the album) and Chambers’ onetime P-Funk bandmate Rodney “Skeet” Curtis. The result is a free-spirited, all-star jam session with Chambers’ potent drumming as its hard-grooving driving force. The title track is a no-holds-barred jam featuring Michael Brecker soloing with abandon, while the funky “Groovus Interruptus” is reminiscent of Funkadelic’s “(Not Just) Knee Deep.” Scofield honors Baltimore-born Chambers with his bouncy tribute “Baltimore, DC,” and the album closes with a cover of James Brown’s “Talkin’ Loud and Sayin’ Nothin’.” With this CD, Chambers and Co. are talkin’ loud and sayin’ a lot.

Originally Published April 1, 2003