Catalyst

When 32 Groove released the all-encompassing Catalyst anthology, The Funkiest Band You Never Heard, they introduced most of the world to a band that they have literally never ever heard of before, including the label owners. Out of the four album’s that Philadelphia-based Catalyst released between 1972 and 1975, A Tear And A Smile, their final statement, stands out as the band’s most adventurous and outstanding achievement. Saying that it defies genre classification is the understatement of the century and, well, it’s basically pure evil.

“The Demon Pt. 1” immediately throws the listener into the fires of hell. Nasty synthesizers, wah-wah Rhodes and red hot drum fills all backing Satan’s saxophone as it solos towards a huge crescendo, only to fall back into a crazy time change with a synthesizer solo and a rhythm section that can be summed up in one word: Madness. Oppositely, “The Demon Pt. 2” is a smooth, laid back soul funk groove with a highly addictive chant, “Don’t let that devil getcha”. The title track foreshadows some of the haunting, quieter cuts to come, while “Fifty Second Street Boogie Down” is just what it sounds like: bad-ass Philly boys boogying down with the occasional psych synth freak out.

On side B, Catalyst prove that this is much more than experimental jazz funk. The Jazz, Spanish and Classical mash-up in “Suite For Albeniz” is the band at it’s most ambitious, showcasing 16 piece instrumentation. With ghostly flutes, swirling cellos and violins, burning Latin percussion, gnarly sax lines and the ever-funky Rhodes, it rides through a mischievous, hazy world of black magic that has yet to meet it’s match. It even conjures up similarities to Frank Zappa’s “Hot Rats” album. “A Prayer Dance” is the most serene track on “A Tear And A Smile” featuring the smooth voice of Sharon Scott and serving as the sonic counterpart to the title track. But then, things end on a whole different note: “Bahia”. It’s an extremely colorful blend of world, jazz, and experimental sounds. Bright marimbas, loads of crisp percussion, Latin chants, voodoo flute, and of course, a totally evil bass line.

Catalyst were way too good for their own good. After listening to A Tear And A Smile and knowing that it fell on deaf ears at the time of it’s release in the Disco era, it’s easy to sympathize with the band as to why they called it quits after four albums. It happens far too often. The best music doesn’t get heard and the best musicians can only take so much. But Catalyst did exist. And their music is as unmatchable as it is uncategorizable.