(The Royal Potato Family)

www.royalpotatofamily.com

Even without Charlie Hunter, this jazz-rock ensemble is still going strong. On Power Patriot, they set the tone with "Rescue Spreaders." A lead-off track with as many distractions as anything on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, it grooves like spies in space, with Skerik out front on the saxophone and Marco Benevento uncorking a mind-melting keyboard riff while Stanton Moore (of Galactic fame) hammers his drums like a caveman with a taste for jazz. "Fragile" sounds like Buddy Holly's melody to "Rave On" as John Zorn might play it, working itself into an overheated climax fueled by squealing sax.

The title track is even more adventurous, a primal funk groove stomping its way across the electronic bloops and blips on its way to an explosive sax-fueled chorus. And when they lighten up the mood a bit on "Dory's Day Out," with Mike Dillon out front on the vibraphone, they manage to recall the schmaltzy side of "Pet Sounds" without coming off as smooth jazz. 

Standout Tracks: "Rescue Spreaders," "Dory's Day Out" A. WATT