The Budos Band: The Budos Band III

Brooklyn’s Daptone Records usually signs acts that mine American funk of the mid-’60s to early ’70s, but Staten Island 10-piece The Budos Band steeps itself far more in ’70s African funk-rock. On The Budos Band III, Jared Tankel’s baritone sax and Andrew Greene’s trumpet (along with guests Dave Guy on trumpet and Daisy Sugarman on flute) frequently adopt the smoky tonality of the grooves found on Buda Musique’s Éthiopiques compilations, dominating cuts like “Raja Haje” and “Budos Dirge.” (The latter’s title belies its dramatic forward motion and cutting brass.) Budos doesn’t skimp on percussion, either: There are four cowbell-conga-etc. players alongside trap drummer Brian Profilio, and together, they add extra layers to a sound already thick with horns and rollicking roller-rink organ, which sets the scene on “The River Serpentine” and “Crimson Skies.” Whoever has the spotlight at any given point, III is The Budos Band’s most confident-sounding album, like a soundtrack to a Shaft In Africa if it were actually made in Africa.