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The Harlem Experiment
The Harlem Experiment
(Ropeadope)
First Appeared in The Music Box, November 2007, Volume 14, #11
Written by Douglas Heselgrave
Sun November 18, 2007, 09:00 AM CST
"No, this isn’t the Harlem of the past. This is the Harlem of the
fast-arriving future — marked by new attitudes and ways of thinking — for we
don’t have to remind ourselves of the struggles fought right outside our windows
because we will never forget. The heart of Harlem is its creative spirit, and
the revitalization of that creative spirit is only just begun." – DJ Mums
Unlike many albums of its kind, The Harlem Experiment is an
unqualified success. Essentially a historical travelogue through the diverse
pathways of Harlem’s musical landscape, the 15 tracks on this disc engage and
excite the listener from beginning to end. Following the premise of taking
musicians who share a hometown, but not necessarily a musical style, and having
them create an album that reflects the spirit of their city, indie label
Ropeadope has invited creative anarchy with the inception of their "Experiment"
collections. Following in the footsteps of The Philadelphia Experiment
and The Detroit Experiment, The Harlem Experiment not only is far
more unified than its predecessors but it also is more musically challenging.
Hosted by a loose collective, with producer Aaron Luis Levinson ostensibly at
the helm, the musicians — led by David Bowie alumnus Carlos Alomar on guitar —
play with a level of verve and intuition that suggests that they are part of a
seasoned band rather than a group of artists who have been pulled together for a
one-off recording.
The personnel assembled to bring The Harlem Experiment to fruition are
a veritable "who’s who" from the New York music scene. Aside from Alomar, whose
funky brand of rhythm guitar serves to anchor the collection, many musicians
from the Apollo Theater’s heyday have been brought along for the ride. From
keyboardist Eddy Martinez to drummer Steve Berrios to clarinetist Don Byron,
these sidemen to James Brown, Tito Puente, and Max Roach add credibility to the
affair. The musical lineage explored on the effort — which stretches from Louis
Armstrong to Grandmaster Flash and beyond — is realized in a full-color sonic
palette that must be heard to be believed.
The Harlem Experiment’s tracks are framed and presented as an imaginary
radio show that is hosted by Harlem’s own DJ Mums. With Mums and DJ Arkive
serving as guides, the richness of Harlem’s musical past and present are
explored as Alomar and his band joyously weave their way through a series of
original songs and timeless standards. The classic sounds of Harlem jazz, salsa,
funk, and R&B phase in and out as Arkive orients the listener to the
neighborhood, wistfully rapping as he accompanies his audience on a journey
through the pathways, alleys, markets, and streets of this historical section of
northern Manhattan. This merging of styles, with songs seamlessly running into
each other, illustrates the cross-pollination of genres and the development of
African-American music better than any Ph.D. thesis ever could. And, it’s a lot
more fun.
From the swinging cha-cha version of Cab Calloway’s Reefer Man — which
features a gloriously spot-on vocal performance from Taj Mahal — to the two
takes on A Rose in Spanish Harlem, there isn’t a track on The Harlem
Experiment that isn’t conceived and executed perfectly While many attempts
at updating a particular sound miss the point or strive too hard to fit a square
peg into a round hole, the unity of the musical vision on The Harlem
Experiment makes for a thrilling listening experience. Doo wop, R&B, and
Latin flourishes are put through the blender of hip-hop scratching, and they all contribute immensely
to the experience and journey of the effort. Whatever one thinks of rap and
modern urban music, the context established by The Harlem Experiment
forces the audience to consider it seriously and honor it as a creative and
logical extension of all of the groundbreaking styles that have arisen from this
vibrant community.
One doesn’t need to be a musicologist to enjoy listening to The Harlem
Experiment. Having such a requirement would defeat the purpose of the
project. This is music that should be played loud and appreciated for the sheer,
wild joy of its creation. It is a wonderful, stomping, howling carnival ride of
a disc that will have listeners jumping and jiving for years to come. 
The Harlem Experiment is available from Amazon.com.
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2007 The Music Box
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