Although
Alphonse Mouzon is celebrated largely for his drumming skills, the brilliant
Funky Snakefoot is first and foremost a showcase for his keyboard prowess. Galvanized by its thick, greasy Arp, Moog, and organ solos, the album recalls Blue Note contemporaries like
Gene Harris, albeit augmented by
Mouzon's monster rhythms. Add his ragged-but-right vocals to the mix and
Funky Snakefoot veers closer to mainstream R&B than virtually anything else the label ever released, but there's no denying the ferocity or virtuosity of this music.
Mouzon's remarkable interplay with fellow keyboardists
Harry Whitaker and
Leon Pendarvis boasts a harmonic complexity that belongs solely to jazz, and the sheer vitality of cuts like "You Don't Know How Much I Love You" and "Where I'm Drumming From" is undeniable. ~ Jason Ankeny