Ursus Minor with Brother Ali, Eyedea and French D' de Kabal, Spike

There was so much coolness in the room of the Triple Rock October 15, when Ursus Minor began playing their funky space jazz. Featuring the genius drumming of Stokley Williams (Mint Condition) and Hendrix and funk guitar of Philly’s own Jef Lee Johnson, sinuous saxophone master Francois Corneloup, and stellar (pun intended) keyboards of Tony Hymas from Britain, the four warmed us up for a powerful night of songs and rap that had everybody in the room grooving and screaming in exhilaration.

Cavernous grooves, spine-tingling chills from dark, gritty life stories of Brother Ali, hitting you in the gut, Corneloup’s sax pounding ominous rhythms straight into the heart as D chanted with leonine growls alternating with the fast French rap of smaller Spike darting around at times attacking the lion with the words and spinning stabs with hands, elbows and knees, at others providing a higher harmony to D’s low range vocals, the clarinet shooting fireworks of bleeps and squeals into the sky, Stokley’s drumming cool and steady, intensifying with the words, Johnson’s very funky and psychedelic guitar, was altogether mindblowing. Every found note was important and cool like John Coltrane. At times Johnson’s guitar was subtle and sparse, at others he played hot showy slides and electrifying original solos venturing into Hendrix territories and skill level. Johnson has also worked with Eryka Badu, Aretha Franklin and George Duke (Duke was one of the Mothers of Invention) and many more luminaries such as he deserves.

The crowd of about 200 got really worked up and were dancing and yelling for Ursus Minor and the MC’s over the course of the superintense three hours they played nonstop. D and Spike’s first performance in America was jawdroppingly powerful. They were larger than life, very playful and ominous at the same time, with incredible moves. Brother Ali backed them up with vocal rhythms and shouts. Stokley a member of Ursus Minor since May when they wowed France together is as perfect behind the drum kit, as he is singing for Mint Condition, which I’m following from now on. Jef moved in and out of the spotlight, as did the other bandmembers. Corneloup is a favorite musician featured at Sur Seine, at turns playful at others very serious with his sax adding to the conversation with his well-chosen notes that sounded like words.

In between MC’s there were such cool acid funk and space jazz intervals, and I wondered how many of the awestruck people in the room, eyes big were having a musical epiphany. D’s and Spike’s rhythmic moves were intense, and while rapping only in French, you could feel it. Driving them a couple times, I got a feel for their deadpan humor and intensely intelligent style but nothing prepared me for their powerful performance.

One of the most moving moments of the show, was Johnson accompanying Stokley’s powerful vocal range on a song by Johnson and Hymas, “She Can’t Explain.” You could have heard a pin drop during the entire song as the crowd was stunned. A French musician, Benoit Delbecq told me, “It brought tears to my eyes when I heard Stokley sing the first few notes, because he sounds as strong as Son House.” I couldn’t have said it better.

This show was out.

Jef Lee Johnson and Prince’s New Power Generation veterans, Sonny Thompson and Michael Bland are News from the Jungle, performing Thursday at 10 p.m. at the Varsity Theater.

http://www.surseine.org/