There’s usually no reason to bother with a studio CD by modern funk/soul bands from the regional bar circuit because, chances are, they’ll pale in comparison to seminal funk/soul pioneers like Parliament, Booker T. & the MG’s, and Sly Stone. On the other hand, the live show, fueled by a little alcohol, is the thing. Which is why Soulwork’s new album, recorded live at Portland’s Big Easy Blues Club last December, is one local soul/funk offering worth a listen. Apart from the opener, "Gray," with its claustrophobic, Jamiroquai-like bass line and chiming keys, and the kazoo solo on "Bumbo," Soulwork Squares Off never strays far from canonical funk/soul/blues.

Kick drum and snare make way for chunky Rhodes chords on "Knew," leaving frontman Sinclair Jennings Jr. to ooze a morning-after sex vibe. Guitarist Gabe Johnson’s sweet, contemplative melody initially mirrors those vocals but then breaks into a typical trad-blues rock solo; it’s jarring and out of synch with Jennings Jr.’s tone here, as Johnson’s leads are on much of the disc. Fortunately, the guitar arpeggios are generally short and low in the mix. The backing band, though proficient, never sound like more than crack session players. Whether it’s his off-the-cuff banter, the occasional flat note ("Ordinary Day"), an inventive grafting of the outro to the Beatles’ "Blue Jay Way" onto the end of one of their own songs, or his on-point scat singing ("Everytime," "Face"), Jennings Jr.’s vocals are what give this bar band their soul.