Incognito pick of the week: The Great I Am

Take 'er easy with this band from Peoria

Take ‘er easy with this band from Peoria

This band from Peoria, Illinois, is one I found on StoryAmp (an invaluable resource for bands, writers, and publicists). This band advertised itself as funk, rock, blues, and jam band. Now, I know that the phrase jam band can send some people running away for fear of songs that go on for so long you forget what the band was playing. Fear not, loyal reader. Up in the Air doesn’t have any marathon songs that make you wonder when the end is coming.

This album begins with a funky bass line (always a solid opener) that immediately gets the head moving. Then the lead vocals came in and I was immediately reminded of funk band Big Pimp Jones.

From there the band does some jams (“Orange” and “She Got Me”) that bring 70s southern rock bands to mind as well as some that lean more toward the psychedelic (“Laughin”). OK, that needs a qualifier. The guitar solo in “Laughin” leans more toward the psychedelic, but the rest of it is somewhere between the 70s rock jams and the good vibes of bands like Rebelution. Yeah, I know on the face of it that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but I stand by it.

This is an excellent album for takin’ ‘er easy (say, this would have been a great selection for Take ‘er Easy Thursday too). No, loyal reader, I’m not going to feature the same band two days in a row. Still any time is a good time to take ‘er easy. So do yourself a favor. Put on this album, pour your favorite beverage and just enjoy the vibe. I know that you will.

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