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Sounds of Ithaca - CD Review

Last Updated (Monday, 26 May 2008 22:31) Written by Casey Westerman - The Ithaca Times Tuesday, 29 November 2005 22:56

"On its debut CD, Thousands of One serves up political party music from the same galaxy as John Brown's Body and J-San and the Analogue Sons. This is spiritual, Afrocentric funk-soul-reggae hip-hop hybrid. Things get a little post-romantic on "Jezebel", but generally the mood is pious, positive and unpretentious. The group is anti-corporate, pro-community, anti-hatred, and pro-sugar - all more or less unimpeachable positions. On "One More Hand", Jhakeem Haltom announces that he's "like an ascetic monk in India / except I'm kinda loud."

Haltom's got a great, clear voice that sometimes evokes Stevie Wonder and sometimes - oddly enough - Steely Dan's Donald Fagen. Regan Carver's sax solos stand out, but everything's tied together by the capable production of Elliot Martin. Listening to the album, I'm kicking myself for not having seen these guys in concert yet. These songs came together as a result of frequent jamming at the Rongo and elsewhere, and they do sound organic and involved, but not at all haphazard, and never, ever sloppy."

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