The Great Big Joy Machine by The Great Big Joy Machine

 

The Great Big Joy Machine by The Great Big Joy Machine

The Great Big Joy Machine was Stephen Colbert's Late Show's house band led by multi-instrumentalist Louis Cato. As the show came to its untimely demise, they released an album which I promptly got a hold of. To be fair, I'm a bit torn here. These guys are stellar musicians, there is a drive here that's undeniable, and it *is* joyful music through and through. But with a runtime of 23 minutes over 12 tracks, my problem is that there is no space here for exploration or expansion. Putting together such an incredible group of improvisers and not letting them lose... That said, nearly all of the themes, despite being as short as a TV theme, are really great to listen to...