The Brand New Heavies' fusion of
retro funk and energetic
jazz propelled their eponymous 1991 debut to levels of artistic and commercial success that subsequently eluded them on solid follow-ups like
Brother Sister. Unsurprisingly, when the choice was made to mine their early sessions for unreleased material, the resulting compilation became the group's most consistently enjoyable effort since
The Brand New Heavies. The bulk of
Original Flava was recorded in 1990, around the same time
N'dea Davenport contributed her dynamic vocals to the versions of
"Never Stop" and
"Dream Come True," which bolstered the debut. Lead singer/songwriter/keyboardist/drummer
Jan Kincaid doesn't have
Davenport's pipes, but his understated croon and light touch successfully recast
"Never Stop" in a
lounge-jazz arrangement that retains only the seductive bassline from his Top Five
R&B hit.
"Dream Come True" is one of three inclusions recorded with
Linda Muriel for
Chrysalis in 1988, and she invests her co-composition with an emotional intensity equal to
Davenport's interpretation. Elsewhere, the band flexes its
improvisational muscle on the
Crusaders-inspired
"Country Funkin'" and the adventurous live version of
"Headhunters," which features
Gerard Presencer on trumpet. As with other
Heavies compilations, one could fuss over the missed opportunity to gather non-album favorites such as their U.K. Top 20 version of
"Midnight at the Oasis," but the adherence to earlier tracks results in a cohesiveness not often experienced on collections of demos or outtakes. Unlike most assemblages of its type,
Original Flava does not need to be programmed to sequence a few highlights; it is exceptionally engaging from start to finish. ~ Vince Ripol
