Gnappy: Gnappy

Austin, Texas’ Gnappy is like a party guest who shows up with a catered spread after everybody has left. Their crisp, tight, slightly edgy funk-jazz would have been a fresh idea, say, six or seven years ago, back when folks were calling soul retreads jazz or thought Medeski Martin and Wood were a law firm. It’s a different story today-unless you are one of those tie-dyed bubbleheads who can still say “jam band” without feeling like an idiot. But even though Gnappy’s ideas sound just a tad dated, the disc conjures some high-energy charms, like the ominous single-line hooks of “Black Cabbage” or the face-slapping hip-hopper “Purple Cadillac.”

Originally Published July 1, 2001