The title "Muziek" may sound a little too similar to "Muzak," but that's surely a coincidence. The Dutch term actually means "music," and the Holland-born van Wageningen Brothers — drummer Paul and bassist Marc — smoothly fuse modern and traditional jazz and world-music genres into something extremely musical. Granted, some of the material on the brothers' debut CD might veer too much toward trad jazz for some listeners, but there's no denying that these dudes have chops. After all, they've previously played with the likes of Tower of Power, Sheila E, Pete Escovedo and George Duke.
Many of the highlights on the first album in which the VW Brothers appear as co-leaders — backed by a cadre of ace San Francisco Bay-area musicians — come after the midway point and include seductive vocals on the Brazilian ballad "Benito," the channeling of early Santana on the Afro-Cuban-influenced "El Abogado" and some downright Cali funk on "You Guys Done Yet?" The sibling rhythm section even covers Miles Davis's "Milestones."
Enjoyable and thought-provoking, the music on Muziek signals the arrival of the VW Brothers as band leaders in their own right.
Track Listing:
1) Euro (Prelude)
2) Simone
3) Milestones
4) Moon Over Gate 24
5) Zapatos de Madera
6) Benito
7) El Abogado
8) You Guys Done Yet?
9) What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?
10) Cecilia's Song
11) Euro
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