Strikezone Records
ROB DIXON – tenor & soprano Saxophone; DAVE STRYKER – guitar; SAM FRIBUSH – organ; RICHARD “SLEEPY” FLOYD – drums
Naptown Soul doesn’t waste much time making an impression. From the opening notes, Rob Dixon and his band come out with a soulful, hard-hitting sound that grabs your attention and makes you want to keep listening.
The Hammond B-3 quickly becomes one of the defining voices on the album. Sometimes it sits quietly in the background, humming underneath the band, and other times it pushes out thick bass notes that make you wonder who needs a bass player. Sam Fribush also delivers some of the album’s most memorable solos, while giving Dixon’s soulful tenor and soprano, Dave Stryker’s guitar, and Richard “Sleepy” Floyd’s drums plenty of room to speak.
Dixon has a knack for making every phrase feel connected to the groove. His tenor sound is warm and full, whether he is staying in the middle register or reaching for notes that ring out above the band. On “Sly Vibe,” his lines glide through the relaxed funk setting, while “I Want You” reveals a different side of his playing, his soprano floating over a slow, shuffling rhythm, the notes hanging in the air before disappearing.
The conversation between the musicians is what makes Naptown Soul so much fun. Dave Stryker never seems interested in filling every space. His guitar lines feel like replies, with notes that seem to linger before he moves to the next idea. On “Bumpin’ on Sunset,” he takes Wes Montgomery’s familiar groove and gives it a bluesy, soulful reading, stretching some notes while speeding others along. When the guitar, organ, and saxophone come back together, they sound like three musicians picking up exactly where they left off.
Richard “Sleepy” Floyd’s drumming gives Naptown Soul a lot of its energy. His funk-powered sticks are always pushing the music, with tight, forceful accents that add weight to the grooves. Floyd has a powerful presence of his own, but he uses it to connect with the musicians around him, responding to every change and helping shape the album’s hard-driving sound.
Dixon’s own compositions sound right at home next to Wes Montgomery’s “Naptown Blues” and the Blackbyrds’ “Walking in Rhythm.” “Fields and Valleys” is different, with Dixon’s saxophone taking on a jazzier, more jagged edge before returning to the warmer soul sound that runs through the album.
“Four One” may be Dixon’s strongest original here, opening with a gorgeous saxophone line before the full band enters into this soulful big sounding blast. The groove is relaxed but intense at the same time, with Stryker stretching notes until their tone lingers in the room and Fribush bringing a deep soul feeling that recalls the emotional pull of Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman.”
Naptown Soul is the kind of record that makes you stop and listen. The grooves hit hard, the melodies stay with you, and this band sounds like it was made to play together.
