MAC GOLLEHON & THE HISPANIC MECHANICS

BITE OF THE STREET

Nefarious Industries

Mac Gollehon, trumpet/scat vocals/keyboards/composer; Eric Klaastad, bass; Jeanne Carne, drums; Ismael Sanchez, percussion; Adam Perez, keyboards; Ariel Lawler, background vocals; David Brenner, sound effects.

The trumpet of composer, Mac Gollehon, bounces boldly atop the percussion of The Hispanic Mechanics featuring Jeanne Carne on drums and Ismael Sanchez on percussion instruments.  This rhythmic introduction to the energized music of Gollehon is also enhanced by the sound effects of David Brenner on the opening tune, “Souled Out.”  After Eric Klaastad lays down a catchy bass line, he is joined by the scat doubling of Mac Gollehon, I feel as if I’m at a street party. The Latin rhythms dance and make me want to move.  This tune is a wonderful way to open their album. The accompanying video is a little scary, starting with a body lying on the ground in a cemetery, suddenly coming to life and playing a horn.  It was not at all like the street party happiness I had imagined.

“Bite of the Street” is the title tune and blasts from my CD player, displaying the consistent energy that Gollehon and The Hispanic Mechanics have reflected from their very first original composition. Mac Gollehon has composed all the music for this project.  On his title tune, he moves from various tempos, more like a suite of music than a single composition. First, we are at a moderate pace, then the tempo doubles and we are back at the street party, where (according to his press package) “…someone slams both feet to the gas pedal” and like a street takeover, the tune races ahead, circling us wildly.  This energy and combination of funk, fusion, Latin and jazz propels the Gollehon project forward, leaving rubber marks on my listening desk.  This is a power-driven project, fused by Latin grooves and percussive energy, but always played like puppet strings attached to the arrangements and controlled by the super-powerful trumpet talent of Mac Gollehon.  The trumpet is always center stage, showing off Gollehon’s skills and exploring the full range of his horn. This is quite evident on tunes like “Coming at You.”

Eric Klaastad on bass steps into the spotlight on the tune “High Drama” and displays his talents during a raucous solo.  They close with another high-energy production involving vocal chants and scats, with wild trumpet licks that slap this composition in my face like wet clothes blowing on the line in a storm.

Mac Gollehon is a seasoned veteran in the music industry.  He has played on thousands of records, including over two-hundred gold and platinum albums since the 1970s.  He’s spent a decade plus working with Duran Duran and has contributed to chart-topping albums by Onyx’s Slam, Blondie’s The Hunter, David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, Billy Ocean’s Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car, and many, many more.  His professionalism and diversity makes him an in-demand studio musician.  Gollehon has made records with Chaka Khan, Buddy Rich, Al Jarreau, Hall & Oates, Madonna, Sheena Easton, Nile Rodgers, Mick Jagger, and Grace Jones.  This current release offers you a platform that explores his own style and composing skills.  Fasten your seatbelt!

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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