Polished jazz. Refined rock. Sharpened funk. A strong groove that swallows everything and starts running. Since it's formation in 1969, Soul Media has advocated the fusion of jazz and rock. This album, 'In the Groove' recorded in 1973, marked the next step in that line. It brings the sharpness of jazz to the forefront, blends in rock to make it edgy, and injects funk to exude power and elasticity. It is a strong, sophisticated, and simply 'cool music' that cannot be categorized into existing genres such as jazz rock, jazz funk, and fusion. This album is also described as a response to The Crusaders, who Jiro Inagaki was paying attention to at the time. The aim was a success. With this album, Soul Media achieved a 'refined black feeling' and moved on to their final destination, 'Funky Stuff'. Text by Yusuke Ogawa (UNIVERSOUND/DEEP JAZZ REALITY)
