CD Review

Has it really been almost twelve years since Us3 and their acid jazz breakout hit “Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)” helped us forget Ace of Base? Sampling Herbie Hancock at just the right time made Us3 a household name, as they mingled hip-hop with jazz in a way that was still novel in 1993.

Now Us3 mastermind Geoff Wilkinson has returned with Questions, his first sample free release, featuring a couple of brand new players. South African vocalist Mpho lays the contemporary R&B flavor that mirrors a bit of Erykah Badu, and Reggi Wyns toughens the groove by lending some urban raps. The Brand New Heavies good time funky party sound is present in “Get It Together” and “Believe In Yourself,” which makes Questions a flavorful party mix. And there’s plenty of slick piano and groovy horn work to splash the release with a nice up-tempo urban flair. “Can You Feel It” is heavy on the sythesized bossa that sounds a bit Casio, while “When She’s Dancing” is Latin flair with its vibrant percussion. "What Does The Mean?" lets Wyns let loose with the freestyling, adding some needed street smarts. Although Questions loses points for its mildly unoriginal content, considering Us3 were once breakthrough pioneers, the 14 track album mirrors different snippets in the soul/funk/R&B hits of the past decade - including of course two more "Cantaloop" remixes.