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Performer: Soulive
Artist: Dave Matthews; Amel Larrieux; Talib Kweli; Black Thought
Engineer: Dave Dar
Producer: Glen Ballard; Soulive
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Soulive: Eric Krasno (guitar); Sam Kininger (saxophone); Neal Evans (acoustic & Wurlitzer electric pianos, Hammond B-3 organ); Alan Evans (drums). Additional personnel: Amel Larrieux, Dave Matthews, Black Thought, Talib Kweli (vocals). Recorded at Applehead Studios, Woodstock, New York in October and December 2001, Cutting Room, New York, New York in May 2001 and Aerowave Studios, Los Angeles, California. Personnel: Amel Larrieux, Talib Kweli, Tariq Trotter (vocals); Eric Krasno (guitar); Sam Kininger (alto saxophone); Neal Evans (piano, electric piano, organ, keyboards); Alan Evans (drums). Audio Mixers: Eli Wolf; Eric Krasno; Mark Mitchell ; Dave Dar. Recording information: Aerowave Studios, Los Angeles, CA (10/2001); Applehead Studios, Woodstock, NY (10/2001); The Cutting Room, New York, NY (10/2001). Soulive's second outing for Blue Note further extends the group's focused revision of classic soul-jazz. With swirling Hammond B-3 and mellow-toned guitar work slinking around crisp, air-tight rhythmic grooves, NEXT is both loungey and danceable. From the riff-based athleticism of opener "Tuesday Night's Squad" to the slow burn of "Joyful Girl" to the guest raps from MCs Black Thought and Talib Kweli, NEXT references funky 1960s combo jazz, while revealing a penchant for hip-hop aesthetics and contemporary groove.

Entertainment Weekly (3/15/02, p.77) - "...Specialize in simmering instrumental funk...successfully [integrate] some Keys-ian R&B and a couple of hip-hop tracks..." - Rating: B CMJ (4/1/2002, p.4) - "...[Soulive are] opening their sound up to more than just the vintage vibe of classic groove units. Not that they've abandoned their tasty, signature mix of cool soul and jazz..." Down Beat (3/02, p.58) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Catchy mood music that gets your feet tapping and your body moving..." JazzTimes (5/02, p.160) - "...These groovemeisters dip into the hip-hop pool while still pledging allegiance to soul-jazz..."

Three-piece soul jazz combo Soulive formed in that cradle of music, Woodstock, New York, in the waning months of the 1990's. The trio would quickly become a force in the jazz world, releasing its acclaimed debut disc, DOIN' SOMETHING, on Blue Note Records in 2001. An odd assortment of collaborations and a tendency towards improvisation would also make the outfit a popular draw on the jam band circuit. The band is noted for its malleability, dabbling exquisitely in everything from rock to bluegrass.

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