Recorded during a European tour in the fall of 2002,
Fred Wesley's
Wuda Cuda Shuda is a typical collection of funk tunes from the trombone-playing bandleader who is a former member of
James Brown's
JB's and
George Clinton's
Parliament/
Funkadelic. Anyone who has heard
Wesley's horn work in those former associations will know what to expect here in music that retains the funky rhythms (courtesy of drummer
Bruce Cox and bass player
Michael Mondesir) in a somewhat more stripped-down form than they were heard in
Wesley's earlier bands. This time, the focus is on the horns --
Wesley, saxophonist Ernie Fields Jr., and trumpeter
Gary Winters -- and that gives the tracks an unfinished feel to those who are accustomed to thinking of the horns as one element in an overall arrangement to be topped off by the focus brought by a
Brown or
Clinton. Without such a star player, the sidemen shine, but they don't draw the spotlight like the absent leaders. This is especially noticeable when
Wesley,
Cox, or guitarist Reggie Ward takes the microphone for a vocal turn.
Wesley's music, like
Brown's and
Clinton's, is built up out of riffs and rhythms, but without a strong frontman it is left to lean toward jazz without really getting there. The playing of
Wesley and his mates is always tasty, but it is more of an appetizer than a full meal. ~ William Ruhlmann