Soulive affirm their kinship to hip-hop, loud and clear, on the excellent Turn It Out Remixed (Velour). Whereas many confused the band’s riveting organ-trio sound as emblematic of the jam-band scene, they’ve always contended that they’re more likely to wear Kangol and skullcaps than tie-dyed shirts and sandals. And by enlisting the likes of J-Live, the Beatnuts, Me’shell NdegeOcello, Ekene Nwokoye and DJ Spinna, Soulive transforms the original jazzed-up on Turn It Out into nocturnal boom-bap joints, best illustrated on the A Tribe Called Quest-inspired “Doin’ Something,” the raw “S.O.U.L.I.V.E.” and the thumping R&B banger “Arruga.” And while Neal Evans’ creamy organ fills and Eric Krasno’s tasty guitar get lost in the remixes, Turn It Out Remixed amounts to one of the more successful jazz remixes of late, one that should finally elevate Soulive beyond the jam-band scene while simultaneously solidifying their position as one of the best instrumental hip-hop groups to come out of the underground scene since the Roots.
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