The title tune Fat Mink, a rapid-fire scorcher with a swirling theme is fired with wailing guitar and wah-electrified – and electrifying – tenor sax.
Matthew Finck/guitar
Jon Ball/tenor
Mike Nappi/drums
Dave Livolsi/bass

03-Fat Mink

Alternatively evocative and hard-rocking Creep, with a touch of Santana on the head and a healthy dose of Jimi in the wailing solo

02 - Creep

The beautiful ballad Self-Portrait featured plaintive tenor and full-bodied guitar on the theme, with passionate, exploratory and deeply emotional solos.

04 - Self Portrait

The infectiously syncopated smoker 7&7, closing with tension-filled guitar chords framing a terrific drum solo.

05 - 7&7

Powerfully funky and relentlessly rocking.

01 - Flexible

Brotherhood, aptly named for both the 15 year musical relationship and the deep aesthetic connection between Matthew Finck and Jonathan Ball, is a masterpiece of soulful expression.

06 - Brotherhood

"...punchy, suspended rhythms and highly expressive Sly Stone-ish wah-wah funk drawl of the closing track Minkstinct."

07 - Minkstinct

Matthew Finck formed his remarkable jazz/funk ensemble Fat Mink in 2005. With the group’s drummer Mike Nappi’s and electric bassist Dave Livolsi’s inspired creativity locking down the intensely rhythmic groove, Fat Mink explores four of the group’s most popular pieces along with three new works written for this date – all of them from the endlessly fertile depths of Matthew’s compositional talents.  Adding to the delightful brew is the participation on three tracks by Matthew’s longtime collaborator, tenor saxophonist Jonathan Ball.
“The compositions and solos pay homage to the guitarists/bands I've been inspired by throughout my life – Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, Robben Ford, Jimmy Page, John Scofield, Wayne Krantz, Pat Metheny – there are simply too many to name…  but these compositions reflect the many influences I've had and the effect they've had on my playing and my music.”

Matthew Finck/Fat Mink