Wearing
a tomato red suit and hat combo that Andre 3000 would
reject as too flamboyant, Amp Fiddler seems to be relishing
his chance to step into the spotlight after a career
as a session keyboardist for the likes of George Clinton
and Prince. His first solo album, Waltz of a Ghetto
Fly, is a skillfully crafted blend of laidback
70s funk and soul which should find a place on every
summer
stereo. Sadly, this material doesn't quite translate
live.
Like his former boss's latest offering, Musicology,
Amp's set promises much but just falls short
of delivering. Opening with the hypnotic groove of
his album's title track, his raspy baritone and
bizarre windmill dancing leave you certain he's
got the charisma to take centre stage
But give an accomplished musician a willing audience
and their instrument of choice and the temptation to
indulge themselves is always there and, once back behind
the safety of his keyboard, Amp succumbs. This means
that infectious album tracks, such as the Stevie-style
"Suspicion", segue into meandering 17-minute jams,
leaving you feeling like you've mistakenly wandered
into the Later with Jools Holland studio. I, for one,
can
think of places I'd rather be on a Saturday night.
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