Libertalia

If Steely Dan and the late Rick James had ever collaborated on a tune, the result may have sounded a lot like “Time Out”, Libertalia’s latest and third single to reach the Number One spot on both the Hot-100 Jazz and Hot-100 R&B Charts of the most popular free downloads worldwide.

The track begins with drums only establishing a syncopated funk beat. The rhythm bed of the verses is carried by electric piano, much in the mold of Donald Fagen. The choruses feature an aggressive, string-popping bass line that functions both as a rhythmic device and a signature hook.

After the second chorus, we move into an instrumental section over a completely different set of chord changes with a guitar solo in that typical Randell Young style which falls somewhere in between Bluesy Jazz and Jazzy Blues.

The solo flows nicely and naturally back into a chorus which, after a brief repeat of the rhythmic breakdown, returns with two choruses setting up an ending finale ascending in thirds much like Richard Wagners’ “Flight of the Valkyries” but with the rhythmic twist of being composed entirely of triplets.

“Time Out” is a highly danceable piece which incorporates enough elements of Jazz, Rock and WorldBeat to elevate the effort into something listenable on an “intelligent” level as well. Yes, a lot of musical ideas do come at you in rapid succession but with enough continuity that it all makes sense, even on the first listen.