We’ve heard from the great Phil Lassiter before, with two of his projects appearing on the fledgling GroundUp label when it began here at Ropeadope. Phil grew up in the pentecostal tradition in Mobile Alabama; his father was a preacher so Phil was exposed to Gospel and Jazz music and musicians as his own path on piano began. Finding his way to Dallas Texas, Phil hung with the cats - Bernard Wright, Bobby Sparks, Keith Anderson, and Jason Thomas - and developed his trumpet playing as well as major arranging talents. As luck (or should we say hard work) would have it, Phil went on to arrange horns for the late great Prince Rogers Nelson, further establishing himself as a force in the game.

In 2018 Phil’s love of funk and soul led him to a pairing with vocalist Elliott Yamin, and together they made one of the most fun (and funky) records of the year. Party Crashers sets the one from note 1, so it’s easy to categorize it as a party album, but further careful listens bring out soulful ballads like Our Love Is Gold , highlighting both the depth of Yamin’s voice and understanding of the root, and Lassiter’s lush arrangements. So, we’re saying to play it again and again for maximum enjoyment.