Korey Horn has supplied the drums for Hepcat, the Aggrolites and more. He decided it was time for a jazz album, so he got his dad to sing and recruited plenty of San Diego talent. This is one hell of an album. But is it jazz?

Shuffle and Bang Island Bop (Pirates Press Records)

Many of these songs are jazz in the traditional "establish the beat and pass around the solos" kinda way. Horn's percussion rumbles through ska, jump blues, a variety of Latin rhythms and more. But there's so much diversity overall that "ska jazz" doesn't really begin to capture the feel, either. So while Wynton probably wouldn't agree (and too bad for him!), this is jazz.

More than labels, however, this is an album to be played loud in a crowd. And while the crowds will have to wait, there's no reason to keep the knobs turned down. The production sound is lush and lo-fi, and while the levels don't pin the needles, it sounds often enough like the playing does.

Truly outstanding. Shuffle and Bang makes no pretension of attempting great art or making a profound statement about humanity. It just throttles these songs and creates almost too much joy to comprehend. Timelessly brilliant.

Jon Worley