BROOKLYN FUNK ESSENTIALS burst amongst us in 1994 with the album ‘Cool & Steady & Easy’ on Dorado Records. That in-demand set is now 30 years old and to mark that anniversary, the band have re-recorded and released the album’s opening track, ‘Take The L Train (To Brooklyn)’ and the closing one – ‘Take The L Train (To 8th Avenue)’.
The tunes were a homages to NYC’s famous L line that runs through Manhattan into Brooklyn and it was written by BFE founder, co-producer and bass player Lati Kronlund who wanted to give a musical impression of a roundtrip subway ride into New York’s south eastern borough. It was also conceived as a twist on the Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn’s classic ‘Take The A Train’ with a nod to The O’ Jays ‘Love Train’. Thus, it’s moody, soulful and jazzy.
Both tunes have stayed in the band’s set list for many years and have had over 6 million streams between them, so it was a no brainer to re-record them and give ‘em a subtle, modern twist, Kronlund explains what he was after with the new versions: “Imagine a late night session with Stan Getz and King Tubby, kinda! The main reason we wanted to re-record selected cuts from ‘Cool & Steady’ was to capture the groove and interplay we have developed together as a group over the years, which is quite different from the original 90s productions.”
Both new recordings feature the tenor saxophone of Loïc Gayot and on the Brooklyn version is upcoming star trombonist Ebba Asman. Kristoffer Wallman plays piano and synths – all with the solid backing of the rhythm section consisting of Hux Nettermalm on drums, Lati Kronlund on bass, Desmond Foster on guitar and upright bass and Rickard Valdés on congas. Both tracks are out now.
