Énergie--Jim Payne Band Call Jim Payne a drummer's drummer and you won't be wrong, but you'll only be half right. Jim is a major player, creative in R&B, jazz, rock, funk, and Latin rhythms, the author of three highly respected books on modern percussion techniques, and a devoted teacher with hundreds of grateful students. And Jim is a people's drummer who's been out there gigging since he was seventeen, always reaching out to connect with his audience. We listeners want perfect time, color and excitement from drummers, and we want to get to know the guy who's playing on those drums, half-hidden by the cymbals. Singers and soloists aren't the only ones who bare their souls! Whenever I hear Jim play, I hear him talking to me. His intricate rhythm patterns, never sterile exercises, burst with dynamic ideas. Badde badde bap, ba doo bap boom, ting ting ting--the melodies Jim sings on his drum kit engage our minds, hearts, and our dancing feet. Listen to Jim Payne and you join an emotionally exciting, and enjoyable conversation with a man who's got a lot to say. Énergie is Jim Payne's latest statement, and it's his most comprehensive and powerful to date. A few years ago, Jim was lucky enough to hook up with guitarist Bill Bickford and organist Jerry Z: two red-hot funksters perfectly suited to both play Jim's quirky, dazzling tunes--think Thelonius Monk meets Booker T--and to jam with him on the long, looping improvisations beloved by club crowds and musicians alike. Bill and Jerry play with all the fire and bite any composer could hope for, and Jim has blossomed creatively working with them. The organ trio tradition lets Jim draw on his R&B roots, and its intimate format leaves space for him to jump into its spontaneous challenges. Sensei, the trio's debut CD, launched their tight, swinging sound; Énergie marks their next big step forward. Listening to the album, I scribbled on a pad whatever words came to mind: driving, delicate, serious, witty, syncopated, solid, dissonant, mellow. The words may sound contradictory, but they suggest the broad spectrum of sound colors you're about to experience. "Peggy Blue" is sweet and sexy, "House of Cads" appropriately nasty, and "Li" rolls out on a soulful gospel groove. Jim's musical ideas are daringly modern, fresh as paint, yet his overall sound is cleanly rooted in the traditions of funk and jazz. Énergie's energy springs, not from computerized magic effects, but from the music of three simpatico musicians playing their butts off for their pleasure and ours. Then add John Scofield’s guitar solo on “Jabo” (dedicated to the great James Brown drummer Jabo Starks) and the tune goes into the 4th dimension. John is so tasteful and so funky. And the double drum combo of Mike Clark and Jim on “Clyde” (dedicated to Clyde Stubblefield, another of the greatest JB drummers) results in a very deep groove with some excellent drum solo highlights that feature Mike’s unique funk style. Put this platter on the player at your next party and you'll see what I mean! Listen to Énergie and you'll hear Jim Payne's history--the killer backbeat he learned touring the South with Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, the timbale touches Tito Puente taught him in Spanish Harlem, the offbeat licks that kicked the avant garde Slickaphonics through long European tours--and you'll hear the sensitive, sensual synthesis that Jim has woven from that history. Music, like life, is what you make of it. In Énergie Jim Payne mixes and stirs the funky music he's loved all his life into a tasty and nourishing soulfood stew, spiced with his own down-to-earth good cheer. So forget those sugar sweet power bars and caffeine-laced soda pops--if you want some real energy, give yourself a dose of Énergie! Michael Lydon – author of “Ray Charles – Man and Music” (Riverhead Books)