T"he Budos Band is the quintessence of Staten Island Soul. Their exciting new afro-influenced take on instrumental music has been captivating listeners at gigs across the Tri-State area. Eleven pieces in all, their group consists of drums, bass, guitar, electric organ, two trumpets, baritone saxophone, and a percussion section employing bongos, congas, tambourine, guiro, clave, shekere and cowbell. Their music has been described as "compelling", "unbridled", "psychedelic", "innovative", and above all "soulful." However, like many majestic things, their sound had humble beginnings.
Their debut, self-titled album on Daptone Records is hard evidence of their eruption onto today's Funk and Soul scene. The dramatic peels of brass and sax poured so liberally over sparsely orchestrated rhythm arrangements intone moods which are in one instant hopeful and sinister, urgent and nostalgic, buoyant and depthful beyond measure. The record opens with a lone prowling bass line that circles it's listener four times before the fierce calculating rhythms of the drums and percussion join in. It is not, of course, until the barks and howls of the horns join the fray when we are able to hear the full spectrum of the band's voice. The musicians claim the secret to their enormous sound is a selfless approach to rhythm: each man finding his own place and purpose in the greater landscape of the measure. However, any observant listener can hear that it is something far more simple and rare that elevates their sound beyond the sphere of cognitive reason and into that far greater realm of pure feeling: The Budos Band have Soul, on the inside. And it's strong.
