The popularity of jazz polymaths Snarky Puppy made it safe for fusion musicians to get funky again – a situation of which King Llama takes full advantage on their second album fata implexis. The L.A. duo of guitarist/composer Ryan T. Bailey and drummer Luis Brones – plus a small squad of side people – takes the progressive rock/jazz blend of seventies acts like Return to Forever and key inspiration Brand X (two bands with whom producer Dennis McKay made his name) and makes it danceable – without barely a trace of electronica or programming, to boot. Joined by finger-popping former Allan Holdsworth bassist Anthony Crawford, the band throws “Bus Stop” and the epic “Sir Isaac” under the disco ball and onto the floor, swinging hips as often as blowing minds. “Hamilton” somehow injects folk rock and hard bop into the mix, while “Level Z” sublimates the rhythm and forefronts the melody. The gorgeous final cut “Vita et Mors” brings the band’s vision back full circle with Brand X bassist Percy Jones adding impeccably tasteful fretless bass. A strong statement of purpose, fata implexis impresses the brain and the groin.
