Casbah 73 Moods and Grooves
An acid jazz resurgence is hardly an anticipated revival movement. But as ‘80s nostalgia fades, […]
An acid jazz resurgence is hardly an anticipated revival movement. But as ‘80s nostalgia fades, and the ‘90s becomes the next subject of cultural fascination, anything is possible. And while Casbah 73-the solo effort of musician Oliver Stewart-hints at the rare grooves ‘n‘ Rhodes-saturated sound, he thankfully steers clear of Jamiroquai territory. Stewart wields electric bass, guitar, and keyboards fluidly, adding spoken word snippets, crowd noise, and percussion samples to tracks that range from mirror-ball jazz (“Still Going On”) to shuffling, housey workouts (“Think It Over”). This is the sound of Malaga sunshine with nods to the e-z lounge vibes of artists like Nicola Conte and Nuspirit Helsiniki. It‘s not acid jazz, but Casbah 73 is a funky hybrid of the electronic and the organic for a trippy new generation.