It seems like a no-brainer that jazz with a funky aftertaste would provide the perfect backdrop for hip-hop fueled vocals. That requires musicians with a particularly broad palette and highly developed skills, on the other hand, which may be part of the reason it's not an often-seen combination. Cold Duck Complex, straight outta Amherst, scratches the itch for a wicked groove and solid playing, and they're back in business with their third album after a long hiatus.
Keyboardist Jeff D'Antona joins the group for its first performance of 2008 this week at the Iron Horse (with openers Fashion People), complementing the lineup of keyboardist Darby Wolf, vocalist Platypus Complex, drummer Makaya McCraven and bassist Joe Cardozo.
Dec. 12, $10/advance, $13/door, 10 p.m., Iron Horse Music Hall, 20 Center St., Northampton, (413) 586-8686, www.iheg.com.
