The Philadelphia Experiment (album)

For other uses, see Philadelphia Experiment (disambiguation).

The Philadelphia Experiment
Studio album by The Philadelphia Experiment
Released	June 12, 2001 (2001-06-12)
Recorded	September 25–27, 2000
Studio	The Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Genre	Jazz funk
Length	52:43
Label	Ropeadope Records
Producer	Aaron Levinson Andy Blackman Hurwitz
Experiment series chronology
The Philadelphia Experiment (2001) The Detroit Experiment (2003)
Christian McBride chronology
Sci-Fi (2000) The Philadelphia Experiment (2001) Vertical Vision (2003)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
All About Jazz	favorable [1]
AllMusic	[2]
Now	[3]
PopMatters	favorable [4]

The Philadelphia Experiment is a 2001 studio album by the Philadelphia Experiment, a collaborative project produced by Aaron Levinson including pianist Uri Caine, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson. ^[1] It features guest appearances from guitarist Pat Martino, trumpeter John Swana, and cellist Larry Gold. ^[1] It peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. ^[5]

Background

The album is the first entry in a series devoted to musicians from the same cities but different musical genres, the second being The Detroit Experiment (2003) and the third being The Harlem Experiment (2007). ^[6] The title "The Philadelphia Experiment" describes the bringing together of Philadelphia-based musicians from differing backgrounds (Caine was known for working in classical and jazz; McBride in jazz; and Thompson in rap and R&B). ^{[7] [8]}

In 2002, King Britt released a remix album, titled The Philadelphia Experiment Remixed. ^[9]

Critical reception

David R. Adler of AllMusic gave the album 4 stars out of 5, calling it "a textbook example of how jazz, soul, and hip-hop were becoming deeply intertwined at the outset of the new millennium." ^[2] Todd S. Jenkins of All About Jazz said, "Here, three tight homeboys have distilled the essence of the Philly legacy down into one insanely funky disc that commands repeat listenings." ^[1]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Philadelphia Experiment"	Caine	4:13
2.	"Grover"	Caine	4:57
3.	"Lesson #4"	Caine, McBride, Questlove	2:52
4.	"Call for All Demons"	Sun Ra	5:26
5.	"Trouble Man Theme"	Marvin Gaye	4:31
6.	"Ain't It the Truth"	Eddie Green [10]	5:04
7.	"IIe Ife"	Sherman Ferguson	6:10
8.	"The Miles Hit"	Caine, McBride, Questlove	5:45
9.	"(Re)Moved"	Caine, McBride	2:09
10.	"Philadelphia Freedom"	Elton John, Bernie Taupin	3:09
11.	"Mister Magic / Just the Two of Us"	Ralph MacDonald, William Salter	8:31
Total length:			52:43

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

• Uri Caine – electric piano, acoustic piano, organ
• Christian McBride – electric bass, acoustic bass
• Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson – drums
• Pat Martino – electric guitar (1, 2, 4)
• John Swana – trumpet (1, 5)
• Larry Gold – cello (10), arrangement (10)
• Aaron Levinson – handclap (2, 9), sound effect (2, 9), production
• Andy Blackman Hurwitz – executive production

Charts

Chart	Peak position
US Jazz Albums ( Billboard ) [5]	7

References

1. Jenkins, Todd S. (July 1, 2001). "Uri Caine / Christian McBride / Ahmir Thompson: The Philadelphia Experiment". All About Jazz . Retrieved November 9, 2017.
2. Adler, David R. "Philadelphia Experiment - Philadelphia Experiment". AllMusic . Retrieved November 9, 2017.
3. Galloway, Matt (August 16, 2001). "THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT". NOW Magazine. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
4. Neal, Mark Anthony (June 11, 2001). "The Philadelphia Experiment: self-titled". PopMatters . Retrieved November 9, 2017.
5. "Jazz Albums - August 18, 2001". Billboard . Retrieved November 9, 2017.
6. Tamarkin, Jeff. "The Harlem Experiment - The Harlem Experiment". AllMusic . Retrieved November 9, 2017.
7. "Uri Caine / Christian McBride / Ahmir Thompson: The Philadelphia Experiment album review @ All About Jazz".
8. "Philadelphia Experiment - Philadelphia Experiment | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic .
9. Woodside, Martin. "The Philadelphia Experiment Remixed - King Britt". AllMusic . Retrieved November 9, 2017.
10. Payne, Douglas. "Catalyst: The Funkiest Band You Never Heard". AllAboutJazz. All About Jazz & Jazz Near You. Retrieved July 23, 2024.

External links

• The Philadelphia Experiment at Discogs (list of releases)