CAB 4 (2003)

CAB 4 (2003)

CAB 4, released in 2003, finds CAB returning to a groove-centered framework while maintaining the band’s signature technical precision. The album features Bunny Brunel on bass, Tony MacAlpine on guitar, Dennis Chambers on drums, and Brian Auger on Hammond organ, with special guest Patrice Rushen contributing on select tracks. This configuration reconnects the group with the deep pocket and elastic time feel that defined its earlier recordings, while introducing a warmer, organ-driven harmonic palette.

The album consists of eleven tracks: “Hold On,” “One for the Road,” “Shizuka,” “Tony Mac,” “Raymond,” “BB’s Rhumba,” “Bass Ackward,” “Cloud Ten,” “Alphonse,” “Jam and Toast,” and “Dede.” Across these compositions, the band balances tightly arranged passages with a renewed emphasis on groove and feel, allowing the rhythmic foundation to breathe and support the ensemble’s interplay. Brunel’s bass work anchors the music with authority and melodic clarity, while Chambers delivers the kind of deep, pocket-driven groove that gives the record its forward momentum. MacAlpine’s precise articulation and Auger’s rich organ textures add both contrast and cohesion, creating a sound that is at once structured and fluid.

Within this framework, standout tracks such as “Hold On,” “One for the Road,” and “BB’s Rhumba” highlight the album’s strongest moments of groove, personality, and musical interaction. These selections reflect where the ensemble leans most fully into feel, offering listeners clear entry points into the record’s rhythmic and melodic language. CAB 4 ultimately stands as a return to form—grounded in pocket, driven by interplay, and defined by the chemistry of a band that understands how to balance virtuosity with groove.