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Tunji
By David R. Parvo
Tunji
The Mercury in Austin, Texas
09/01/00
After the rollicking fun of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and a brief intermission, Austin’s own Tunji hit the Mercury’s stage and delivered an unrelenting and blistering two-hour set to a very appreciative and responsive audience.
Tunji, which boasts the lineup of Bruce James Bunn, Shiben Bhattacharya, Joe Amato, Brad Gilley and Andrae VanBuren, displays genuine musicianship in every sense of the word. VanBuren is a hard-blowing saxophonist who twirls up an impressive melodic architecture with great facility and harmonic imagination. Bhattacharya provides a slick and dignified bass line that evokes images of a young George Porter and the psychedelic blues of Jimi Hendrix. Bunn is an extremely talented musician who is well versed in the techniques of Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder, among others. His unparalleled keyboard work incorporates elements of gospel with standard blues riffs and is so strong that he can set off and stretch his legs with virtuosity and at will. His gravelly vocal style emphasizes tunefulness and is very effective. Gilley lays down an ever-present backbeat of drums somewhat reminiscent of Tower of Power, and every once in a while, he’d seize the spotlight and do a nifty little number. Amato, who plays the guitar, brings rock rhythm and sonority to the mix. His work is especially strong when he exchanges riffs with Bunn and Bhattacharya. Musical guest Pete Ortega was a more than welcome addition to the horn section, improvising esoteric and fast bop chord progressions.
In reality, Tunji’s in your face sound is all their own, and they combine the 70s era fusion of funk and jazz with progressive soul and Afro-Cuban rhythm stylings. The beauty and power of their music lies in the skill of writing tight pieces of varying intensity and styles, all of which is well-grounded in the fundamentals. What results is a rich tapestry full of vibrant tunes that plunder jazz for flexibility and response without adapting the jaded virtuosity of fusion, a combination that never fails to surprise and delight the listener. Tunji’s set Friday night was an eclectic and engaging showcase of skill and ability in an intimate atmosphere. They took the crowd on a roller coaster ride of interplanetary grooves and jams, and it doesn’t get any better than that.
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