From Iceland — Samúel Jón Samúelsson Big Band

Published November 18, 2010

Samúel Jón Samúelsson Big Band have been together on and off for a decade now, forming in 2000 for a series of live performances in Reykjavík. This latest offering from the group, their third album, is just under an hour of good, solid funk. For those not accustomed to its ways, funk can sometimes be a bit same-same, however SJS Big Band manages to avoid this by having a strong progression in their music and regular solos that spice things up. The album moves along at a groovy pace, making me wish that real hipsters still actually existed. For those fans of funk, or even just folks that like to dance, ‘Helvítis Fokking Funk’ is a good choice to funk up your life.