Prince / Jazz Funk Cuisine Las Vegas (4CDR)

Disc 1
1.3121
2.Girls & Boys
3.Satisfied
4.Down By The Riverside
5.Purple Rain
6.Lolita
7.Black Sweat
8.Kiss

Club 3121 Las Vegas Jan 19, 2007
9.Instrumental
10.Instrumental

Disc 2
1.Spain
2.Sweet Thing
3.Footprints
4.Instrumental
5.I Like It There

3121 Cuisine Aftershow Jan 19, 2007

Disc 3
1.Instrumental
2.Stratus
3.Not Gon Cry/Baby Love
4.Te Amo Corazon
5.Crazy

Disc 4
1.The Jam
2.What Is Hip
3.How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore
4. Superstition
5. 3121/More Bounce To The Ounce/Dance Floor/California Love

3121 Cuisine Aftershow Jan 20, 2007

3121 Las Vegas Live, January 19th and 20th, 2007. This release features an audience recording of the aftershow at the restaurant, 3121 Cuisine, at Club 3121, a venue already difficult to record.

First up is the main show on the 19th. The audience is loud, but perhaps that's the Las Vegas vibe, and the sound quality is immersive. 3121 had to play this song first. A funk version with Zapp-like vocoder blasts off the microphone, followed by a funky version of "Girls & Boys" with a sense of disappearance, featuring light drumming. This feeling is perhaps due to Prince's vocals, his bass, and the Twins' chorus. Then there's the long, eight-minute version, Satisfied. With keyboardist Renato on board, it has a truly jazzy feel. Prince also sings with great energy. The track starts with the light-hearted rhythm of Down By the Riverside and then suddenly into Purple Rain. It's a meticulous 10-minute performance, complete with Renato's excellent keyboard intro. Prince also chimes in with some excellent guitar work. The arrangement is jazzy, and Prince, perhaps with the Super Bowl in mind, plays Purple Rain with various variations, showcasing his brilliant playing here as well. Renato also provides solid support for Lolita and Black Sweat, but unfortunately, this recording ends midway through Kiss, making it incomplete. However, what follows is a recording of the aftershow from that day. The atmosphere is chaotic yet somehow calm, with a slightly different tension than usual, and despite some distortion, the sound quality is quite high-quality. Mike Phillips introduces Renato, Joshua, and others, ushering in a world of jazz. The show unfolds with a completely freaky free jazz performance, including phrases from Al Jarreau's "Spain." I've never heard anything as black as this. Prince appears to join in on guitar around the time of "Spain," and on the instrumental version of "Sweet Thing," Prince displays his usual relaxed guitar playing. However, midway through the set, it's not Prince who takes the vocals, but Shelby. The show transforms into a powerful, powerful performance. Then, a slow version of "Footprints" is played, and the show once again descends into a chaotic jazz world, returning to the all-black stage for connoisseurs. The second half, featuring Shelby and Prince intertwining with a light yet freaky instrumental, is perhaps what Prince would have played if he were in the studio with his current line-up. The rough, mature, and funky performance unfolds comfortably, never resolving. One instrumental piece lasts nearly 20 minutes. The show closes with an instrumental version of "I Like It There." Despite the audience asking for more, the show ended quickly. It was a completely unexpected gig.

The aftershow on the 20th is also included in full. Perhaps the recorders were able to confirm the location and recording level, as the sound quality is smoother than on the 19th. While it's a matter of personal preference, it's a high-quality audience recording. The set starts with the same lineup as the previous day, but Prince was already on stage from the first song, primarily playing keyboards. Even behind the scenes, he delivered some truly brilliant phrases. The instrumental parts were different from the previous day, and Mike Phillips skillfully varied his playing style, and the backing also accommodated the freaky elements, resulting in a performance of unprecedented real musicianship. Billy Cobhum's jazz Struts also offers a fresh perspective filtered through Prince. However, this day wasn't all jazz. Shelby performed Mary J. Blige's "Not Gon Cry," a vocal performance with a richer vocal range than Tamar's. She skipped Sunday In The Park, which is Tamar's song, and instead sang Mother's Finest's "Baby Love." Here, Prince focused on the background, playing guitar and keyboards. Finally, Prince took center stage with this song, playing the emotional, melancholic "Te Amo Corazon," a tear-jerking six-minute performance featuring Prince's long guitar work, coupled with melancholic horns. For some reason, Prince didn't sing, and this was again an instrumental. Then came a cover of Gnarls Barkley's hit, "Crazy." Shelby sang the vocals, but it was a very jazzy, downbeat version, yet groovy—a truly entertaining moment. From there, the show took an unexpected turn, with a 10-minute performance of The Jam, even without Larry Graham. There's barely any vocals, no band introduction, just a heady, funky charge, occasionally peppered with Prince's stylish guitar chops and horns for a highly unconventional version. And the funk continues. There's a cover of Tower of Power's "What Is Hip." Again, there's almost no vocals; Prince plays freely against a funky backdrop. His skillful technique shines through in this professional version. You might think the show is over, but the performance resumes immediately. Prince takes to the piano alone. The audience requests various songs, but Prince plays "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?". Again, Prince doesn't sing, and the audience joins in for a sing-along! Then there's the keyboard riff, which sounds like a Moog. It's Superstition, sung by none other than Kip Blackshear, who flew all the way from Minneapolis. He's as good as ever. He delivers a lively vocal performance that sounds like a young Stevie. Then Mike Phillips' effective solo kicks in. Then there's the call-and-response "Uh! Yeah!", and finally, what's that keyboard riff I've never heard before? It's a brooding yet downbeat funk, with horns blaring spasmodically, followed by a long intro to a funk jam featuring "More Bounce To The Ounce," "Dance Floor," and "California Love" vocoder! A Roger, Zapp medley, and a chorus of "O-lio, O-oh," yes, this is a grand 3121 jam. Seven minutes into the intro, Prince finally takes the stage! He waits so long, it's enough to make me cry just hearing his voice. Shelby aggressively sings Tamar's part, stirring things up. Then, after a slight stutter, Mike's vocoded rap finishes, spitting out a spit-like rap.