Jambands.com (article link)
February 1, 2001

"They Live" - Wise Monkey Orchestra
By Chip Schramm

"They Live" is the Wise Monkey Orchestra's first full-length album under Lauan Records. The jamband sampler discs that this label has released so far have been a positive for fans, bands, and the music scene nationwide. Wise Monkey Orchestra hails from the southern part of California, down in San Diego. Not surprisingly, their sound includes a fair dosage of Latin flavor, but is balanced out well by a funky horn section. The album's title serves as a clever play-on-words, as each track is taken from one of their live shows in the winter and spring of 2000.

WMO seems like they have picked some staples from their live rotation for the core of the music on "They Live". Five of the ten tracks are over six minutes in length, and that includes a three-song segment that flows together without stops. The tracks picked for the album are also accented by several special guests, most notably Dave Ellis on saxophone. The Ratdog and Charlie Hunter Trio alum plays on five of the tracks on the album, adding quite a bit to the overall effect. Robbie Helm. blows sax on two of the other tracks, to compliment the trombone and flute of full-time Monkey, Andy Geib.

Alley, described in the liner notes only by her first name, is by far the strongest presence on the album. She handles all of the vocals throughout, steering the monkey-ship into funky waters. At some points her voice is the main lead of the song, and the other musicians just play around her. Guitarist Marty Schwartz gets a few token solos here and there but seems mostly content to play rhythm and let the groove center around Alley's singing. Her vocals are set at high level in the mix, so she puts her own unique voiceprint on each song she sings.

The album starts off with a slow, lazy groove entitled Movin' Free. The band eases its way into the album, lighting a long fuse for the jams that are to follow. They use the first 90 seconds of the song to set the tone before Alley's vocals jump in. In the break down near the end of the first track, Andy Geib, the WMO trombone and flute maestro lays down some jazzy horn lines quickly supported by Ellis. SLM is a song that really shows off the Latin influence of the band. Schwartz employs a familiar guitar chord progression to match the entrancing beat Bruce Stodola creates on the drums. The horn players use this setup as their launching pad for some expressive blowing, weaving a jam that increases momentum throughout the course of the ten-minute track.

SLM along with Space and Brainchild are the three instrumentals on the album. The second two songs make up a three-song segment of music from one show in Ocean Beach, CA. Those tracks focus more on the brass players, as Andy Geib uses his flute to add an extra dimension to the WMO sound. The segment begins with the tune Hell Ain't For Me, which sounds more like a poem Alley reads along to the music than an actual song. The overall effect of the three-song combo is to give the band amble room to expand their groove and explore the jamming terrain.

Overall, "They Live" is a solid album for a band with lots of complimentary influences working together in concert. In a music scene with lots of instrumental funk and groove jazz bands fighting for notoriety, Alley's vocal presence gives Wise Monkey Orchestra something to differentiate themselves from the pack. Her vocals and Dave Ellis's guest sax throughout are what make this an album worth exploring. I would recommend it to any music fan that enjoys the combination of Latin, jazz, and funk jams entwined around a powerful female voice.