By: Sam Houghton
Rating: 7/11

The Barbarian Horde is jazz that’s funky. Not fruit gone bad funky, but jazz that’s come alive funky. It’s jazz without the arrogance lingering across its face but with that strutting fun that is funk. It’s jazz with brass out the ears, that’s erratic as a knuckleball, but laidback and cool with a hidden taste of talent and sophistication.

The skill of Barbarian Horde and their third album, Your Pleasure is Our Business (all of which are instrumental besides a few sly remarks and hollerings here and there), is overshadowed by their spirit: maybe it’s the six man horn section or the grooving rhythm section, but it’s definitely there. Often we get white-gloved jazz bands whose main concern is sniffing their own gas, but the better bands know they can play. Their music is more an attempt to convey a certain energy or spirit. With titles like “Minute Man 2” and “Oversized Load” on an album titled Your Pleasure Is Our Business, right off the bat, we know something’s up. Barbarian Horde’s got that energy. They can jam. Their music backs up the college-boy humor. It’s full of jive and life. It’s goofy and sexy at the same time. It begs for a dance floor and some hot feet to shake.

As an 11-piece band, the bass player probably has a suicidal dream once in a while, but somehow he keeps the band together. It flows and works. Much can be said for the rhythm section. It shakes. Much can be said about the brass section, too. The booming trumpets and saxes gives the bands it’s unique sound. Although there are writing credits, the album maintains a free feeling, as if the band sat down together, all 11 of them, got into a groove and recorded it and stuck it on CD and passed them out hot off the pan.

One thing can be said, that can probably be said for most all-instrumental bands, is that the diversity of the album isn’t great. Most of the songs are quite similar… good, but similar.

Rumor has it, the Horde is moving out of the city. It’s a shame because rumor also has it that their shows are a sight. Their website claims they’d sometimes show up in “drag, sweat suits, tweed blazers and pocket protectors, black suits, and even a nod to Chevy Chase in the ‘Fletch’ movie legacy.” However, another last show might be in the works. We’ll get word to you when we hear. Seems like fun times all around.