Sure Fire Soul Ensemble: Live at Panama 66

Recorded live, in 2019, at Balboa Park’s Panama 66, the Sure Fire Soul Ensemble released their fifth full-length album to a sold-out crowd at Winstons on April 28th of this year. The pre-pandemic recording went through some obvious delays with their main working label, Colemine, but eventually SFSE released Live at Panama 66 on Felten’s new label, which he started with friend Mitchum Yacoub of All Town Sound. Felten is responsible for assembling the Avenger-like team of monster musicians who make up the band and is also credited as engineer and mixer on the album. Enough cannot be said of what an impression was left on me from the mixing alone. Multiple times throughout my listenings, I was reminded this was a live album, legitimately surprised by the clapping between songs.

SFSE is somewhat of a staple in San Diego. If you’re around long enough, you will hear them or hear of them. If Jake Najor is your bread, SFSE is your fruit and cheese. The opener of the live album is “Campus Life” from their 2019 full-length album, Build Bridges, which is a perfect introduction to their funky, cinematic sound. If I was introducing someone to Sure Fire for the first time, this is the track. It trades off swanky trombone and tenor sax solos (as most of the tracks do), padded by the artfully funky Jake Najor on drums and Omar Lopez on bass.

It’s apparent by track two—“Glorias Anthem,” an Afro-Cuban funk-fused gem—the members of this band really know each other. No one is playing over anyone, and enough space is left to make what’s heard actually impactful. Najor paints a groovy safety net, specifically with wide strokes on this track. Special mention goes to hand percussionist Sheryll Felten for grabbing my attention more than once throughout the album. Seamlessly synced with Najor and percussionist Kiko Cornejo Jr, it’s frosting on this indulgent ear-cake.

“Strollin’ Adams,” a track from their 2015 self-titled album, evokes all the eclecticism and creative staying power as the track’s namesake avenue. This live version is somehow funkier and flirtier than the studio track. Perhaps it’s the audience participation—the “woos” Felten left in during Omar’s impressive bass fill toward the end of the track give you a sense of what the energy felt like to be there in person.

My favorite track comes with a pairing recommendation. Grab your headphones, get your favorite method of relaxation, a cup of tea and/or maybe a jazz cigarette, lay back somewhere outdoors, and put on “Step Up.” Something about it invokes a sense of ease but is motivational at the same time, a beautiful backdrop to other creative activities. Painting? Put on SFSE and watch what happens. Looking for a solid soundtrack to your casino caper flick? Sure Fire Soul Ensemble.

“Out on the Coast” is slightly more laid back than the 2016 SFSE album version of the same name and one of four covers on the album. Most noticeably, it presents a true jazz break where Lopez quarter-notes it until the change back into the nasty funk groove. It’s so tasteful and surprising you can’t help but holler along with the live audience. It was the first time my face did the stank face, a well-deserved look of riff respect.

Their finale is a trippy, fast-paced cover of “Jan Jan,” originally by the Fabulous Counts, a ’60s soul funk band heavily influenced by the likes of James Brown and early Kool and the Gang. Every lick in every solo is purposefully placed. Nothing seems over the top despite the fast pace, a delicate line to walk. A smart move leaving this as the last track. To echo Felten’s final comments to the live crowd, “Wow, what a party!”

Credits
Tim Felten: Keyboards/Bandleader
Jesse Audelo: Sax/Flute
Kiko Cornejo Jr.: Congas/Bongos
Jake Najor: Drums
Omar Lopez: Bass
Wili Fleming : Trombone
Aquiles Magana Jr.: Guitar
Travis Klein: Tenor Sax
Sheryll Felten: Hand Percussion

Artwork: Jon Condry
Recording Engineers: Jesse Orlando, Tim Felten
Mix Engineer: Tim Felten
Mastering: JJ Golden