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The Quartertones Album Review sceneandheard.ca The Quartertones - Hidden In Plain Sight [URBNET Records] By Antoine Tedesco  A sly mix of hip-hop, old soul, funk and jazz, The Quartertones are a very polished team of musicians. Their music has an infectious fluidity to it, in particular ‘Una Mas’, the second track on the Hidden in Plain Sight. Jazz seems to be the most prominent of sounds throughout the release; however, DJ Serious’ use of tasteful scratching, Planetpea’s editing and programming make each musical element flow perfectly with matching or disparate styles. Their live improvisation makes for always entertaining music that does not fit into some formula. There are mad skills behind these five musicians. You can hear it in each instrument, each cut, each vocal approach, each sample. The live groove-funk is augmented nicely by the laptop and drum machine, which add so many layers it can sometimes overwhelm you. You think you’re going in one direction then BANG! the band hits you with something completely different. The slow, rhythmic ‘Mr. GB (live)’ showcases a Latin guitar feel, add the click track/claps and the piece carries you along while you drink a glass of your favourite libation. The groovy elements hark back to that ultra-funky era known as the 70s. Sure, the slight disco vibe can grate on the nerves if you don’t like it but the 70s television show stylings can really get your attention – you can see Kojack busting criminals to some of these tracks.The combination of three classically trained jazz musicians plus two veteran hip-hop producers, bring a much-needed revivalist injection to this jazz-heavy release. | ||||||
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