[.ca] Action Figure Party

From Amazon.com:
Keyboardist Greg Kurstin is best known as a founder of the eclectic rock combo Geggy Tah. With Action Figure Party, Kurstin steps out of character to create what could be described as an interesting collision between the Beastie Boys' groovier work and Steely Dan's sophisticated mix of jazz and pop. Kurstin's percolating electric keyboard work kicks out catchy melody after catchy melody, and he also takes a vocal turn on a couple of tracks. Kurstin hasn't forgotten his friends, and here he's supported by a crew that reads more like the A-list at the Viper Room than a list of sidemen for a groovy jazz album (Flea appears, as does Sean Lennon--on turntables no less). But even with his revolving crew, Kurstin keeps the music fun and focused--the songs have a taut pop polish and memorable melodies that truly hold up under repeated listens. And that was likely his objective from the beginning of this project. --Tad Hendrickson

ULTRA, ULTRA HIP!!!:
I can't even describe this music. I've never heard anything like it. If you mix jazz, funk, Beck, rock and soul in a blender, then you might be able to grasp a category for this wonderful music, but it's like trying to describe the taste of sugar to someone who's never tasted it before. I just happened to stumble across this album one night when I did a search on the Internet for my favorite drummer, Gary Novak. It brought me to a page that had some of the albums that he played on and this was one of them. I played some of the sample clips and I was hooked from the very first second of the very first song. EVERY song that I heard was just too cool. If you're a music fan, you've got to check out this album. I would give it 6 stars if I could.

Really, really, good.:
I listen to Joe Zawinul, Wayne Krantz, MMW, Greyboy Allstars, The Bad Plus, Vertu, Trilok Gurtu, Blue Dog, etc... GET THIS ALBUM. It always makes it back to my cd player no matter how many times I put it away.

Pretty good jazz-rock fusion:
This is a fairly entertaining jazzy keyboard disc. There are two vocal songs, "Action Figure Party" and "Clock Radio" which aren't that good (maybe I'm dense and not understanding the lyrical meaning, or maybe the words are awfully banal). The rest of the album is instrumental, and Greg Kurstin plays a variety of piano and keyboard sounds. He's an excellent player. The songs are fairly straight-forward, so they're accessible, if a bit light.

Groove For The Average Man:
If you're looking for a way into the daunting world of Jazz and Funk, this disc might just be the door. This album is loaded with tight keyboard improvizations and funky little riffs that are gonna keep spinning in your head. The good and bad part is, it's not very sophisticated jazz; in other words, it's not as heavy as Medeski Martin and Wood, nor as classy as Count Basie. But if you're interested in acid jazz or lounge, you'll probably really like Action Figure Party. I also recommend: Jamiroquai, Akimbo, The Brand New Heavies, Groove Collective.

Amazing!:
I saw Action Figure Party open for Barenaked Ladies and bought the cd before concert was even over. I was definitely not disappointed. Granted some of the songs are better than others but as a whole the album is a great listen. I've owned it for almost 2 years now and it's still one of my top 10 most played. I've bought several copies for friends. Go out and get this cd, you won't be sorry!

• Everybody Ready - Fima Ephron, Yuval Gabay, Gabrial McNair, John Molo, David Ralicke,
• Action Figure Party - Greg Kurstin, Daniel Shulman
• Pong Baby - Mike Elizondo, John Molo, Jose Antonio Pasillas II, David Ralicke,
• Gamera - Sean Lennon, Brian Reitzel, Daniel Shulman,
• No Sleep - Mike Elizondo, Jose Antonio Pasillas II,
• Clock Radio - Fima Ephron, , Greg Kurstin
• Where's the Moment - Gabrial McNair, David Ralicke, Brian Reitzel, Daniel Shulman,
• George and Cindy - Fima Ephron, Yuval Gabay, Sean Lennon, Gabrial McNair, David Ralicke,
• Gettem - Flea, Gary Novak, David Ralicke
• Green - Gabrial McNair, David Ralicke, Brian Reitzel, Daniel Shulman,
• Clapper - Yuval Gabay,
• Flow - Flea, Gary Novak