If you are of a certain age as I am, then you will remember those cheesy TV cop movies and shows with the terrible acting and even worse script, but had the most amazing funky/disco background music. Well then ladies and hemorrhoid’s, I give you Tropea. Tropea is the solo project of guitarist and top session man, John Tropea. He has played with and appeared on just about everything that was recorded after 1974. He has also been a part of numerous bands including Van Morrison, Paul Simon, Eric Clapton and Dr. John – to name just a few.
This is the first of his 14 solo albums since 1975, and most of you probably won’t have heard of any of them. I love albums like this as you can put them on and they feel like they are the soundtrack to your day. Every track feels as though it’s part of a score for something, and you can think of it as a soundtrack to a movie that never was. John Tropea is one hell of a guitar player and just does enough for each song as all good session players do. There are some great players helping out like Steve Gadd on drums, and the Brecker Brothers on horns. Highlight tracks for me are the two side openers, Tambourine, and Muff, which has a great groove. If this was put out today I suppose it would be classified as smooth jazz.
7.5/10 from The Grooveman.
