Soule Monde is avant funk erupting from the syncopated minds of power drummer Russ Lawton + B3 wizard Ray Paczkowski. An ideal union of swagger and raw talent, the duo is cemented into an indestructible pocket, where bold improvisational leaps by either player are met by a near-telepathic response from the other. This is fluid funk, crafted for the dance floor but supported by an extensive grasp of jazz improvisation. Paczkowski has an intrepid knowledge of the Hammond B3, playing it as fearlessly as Han Solo flies the Millennium Falcon through an asteroid field, while his left-hand lays down bass lines on the clavinet with the ferocity of the meanest four-string, soul-cat.
Lawton is constantly responding to his partner’s attacks – pushing the groove further and deeper while holding the pocket like he’s handcuffed to the snare. Don’t expect the beat to drop with Soule Monde, and at the same time don’t expect to get stuck in one groove. Quite simply, this is the jazz-duo your parents warned you about.