Otis Grove

Otis Grove - The Runk - 2010 - Ropeadope

“Otis Grove adeptly walks a line, drawing from the improvisational wisdom of those who’ve come before, while understanding the changing tastes of contemporary listeners. The Runk is a strong and a compelling chronicle of this talented trio’s balancing act with songs throughout – particularly “Plywood Snowshoe,” and “Waiting,” – proving deliberate, focused, and doled out in increments that today’s fast paced audiences would easily find continually engaging. Sharp interactions between instruments further leave a certain awe-factor that proves rather convincing to fans or newcomers. And though this album is just an early indication of the band’s potential, it fairs well amongst the inspiring works of contemporaries in the progressive jazz world, leaving Otis Grove, a band you’ll definitely be hearing about” - Jambands.com

“This is why I do what I do; why I spend endless hours searching for new music on the Internet, at the record shops and in clubs. I’ve seen more great shows than I can ever count (plenty of terrible ones too), but every once in a while I get turned on to something truly exceptional. Otis Grove falls into the latter category and if their new album, The Runk, didn’t prove it on its own, their CD release party at the Lizard Lounge did. ” - George Dow - New England Deli Magazine

Remember crunk? That mix of booming 808 bass, drum machines, sinister samples and screamed, one-syllable chants that gave birth to countless strip club anthems ("Get Low" anyone?) and provided the soundtrack to countless nightclub brawls? Which would account for about 80 percent of Lil Jon and the Eastside Boys' music. Well maybe not 80 percent. But at least 50 percent tops. Well make way for runk, a mix of funk and rock birthed by Boston trio Otis Grove. Drawing on those genres as well as R&B, jazz and hip hop, the band comes up with some truly unique sounds. Album opener "Monark," with its blistering, distorted riffs and maniacal organ, sounds like Metallica dropping in on a New Orleans church service, while the collision of twin guitar solos and whirling, eerie synthesizers sound like a long lost Red Hot Chili Peppers track. The laid back guitar licks and bright organs of "Uncle Runky" would feel right at home at a afternoon barbecue. "Waiting," crafts a seductive mix of minimalist licks and sharp drums before surrendering midway to a monstrous groove of floor-shaking bass, fiery, frenetic guitar solos and a wailing wall of organ sound. Brash funk freakout, "Fausto" with its fuzzy distortion, rubber-band bass, is another standout track. Otis Grove are clearly talented musicians, able to both improvise and snap back into the melody at a moment's notice. Sam Gilman coaxes a endlessly array of sounds out of his organ, electronic piano and mellotron, while guitarist Tyler Drabick and drummer Blake Goedde display enough versatility to keep with Gilman's experimentation. It would be interesting to hear what the band would sound like with words and vocal melodies. But Otis Grove have provided more than enough ways for listeners to get runk. 4/5 Posted by & © K. Clark © http://indiesandtheunderground.blogspot.ie/2010/11/album-review-otis-grove-runk.html

“Organ trio” may be a restrictive label for Otis Grove. Sam Gilman, a Berklee College piano technician, uses an arsenal of Moogs, Clavinets, Wurlitzers and an absolutely filthy Hammond organ that has been tricked out to pack more overdrive and low-end horsepower by the band’s guitarist. Their new album, The Runk (the name is a portmanteau of rock and funk coined by fans to describe their genre), serves up some coffeehouse jazz grooves and pours in the mescaline with some acid-rock freak-outs. Songs like “Monark” and “Rock City” echo the muscle-car space jamming of Edgar Winter Group’s “Frankenstein” and approach the three-chamber-bong heaviness of Soundgarden and the Atomic Bitchwax. The metallic guitar harmonies in “Plywood Snowshoe” are like a sweater-clad cousin of Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper.” The album’s mellower moments offer Otis Grove’s take on more traditional jazz-rock trio fare. Someone has to make sure that an MP3 of “Uncle Runky” finds its way to R. Kelly or the surviving members of TLC. Can you say “remix”? Posted on November 19, 2010 by & © PETER LEGASEY © 1999-2014 Dig Publishing LLC. All Rights Reserved http://digboston.com/boston-music-concerts/2010/11/otis-grove

What do you get when you start with funk-soul grooves, throw in some jazz stylings, add jam band sensibilities, layer on the heavy guitar and organ riffage, and finish it off with prog-rock wackiness? Oh yeah… and remove the vocals for an all-instrumental delivery. Given that mish-mash I would have guessed you’d get a train wreck. Thank God my guess would have been wrong. Otis Grove’s newest release, The Runk, is an instant classic. The Runk opens with “Monark” and a dual barrage of guitar and organ straight out of the Deep Purple songbook. About a minute in, it takes a hard left turn into Emerson, Lake and Palmer territory with a crazy time signature shift and a Keith Emerson style key solo. Then the tune suddenly comes back together with a meandering Santana-esque guitar solo before swinging back to the Deep Purple riffs to end the song. That’s a lot of ground covered in a single track and I knew I was in for a treat. The next two tracks, “The Bunk” and “Basket Case," stick to a more traditional funk/jazz style, reminiscent of Fishbone mixed with Medeski, Martin and Wood. Both songs pay homage to a retro-soul sound while remaining thoroughly modern in their delivery. The album continues on this cycle through seven more tracks, alternating between heavy jam band rock-influenced tracks and classic funk/soul/jazz. Late in the album, “I Won’t Forget” brings me back to my youth in the '70s. During my summers in New Hampshire I would frequently go roller skating at an old rink on Lake Winnipesaukee. Instead of playing Top 40 hits they instead had reel-to-reel tapes of old organ music, like some ancient form of Muzak. Listening to the keys on “I Won’t Forget” suddenly turned me into a 10 year-old klutz, circling the rink and trying desperately to look cool in a velour shirt and homemade plaid pants. The Runk closes with “Fausto." The track highlights their drumming chops, opening with a short drum solo. Those drums remain the driving feature of the six and a half minute track and end this amazing album on a simmering groove. © George Dow © http://newengland.thedelimagazine.com/node/3198

There's a new sound taking over the town known as Boston. If you're by the banks of the Charles River as the moon glows over the muddy waters you very well may hear some thick, groovy beats banging out a trail for raw guitar licks and a soul-drenched Hammond organ. Yes indeed, ladies and gentleman who are down with the funk, it's time to get rocked by your new favorite band: Otis Grove. Otis Grove began as a collective experiment in crossing the traditional organ jazz sound with funk, hip-hop, and rock tones. It was the beginning of a sonic realization based in groove and free in improvisation, yet rooted in songwriting and melodic structure. In early 2004, on the heels of their self-titled debut album, the band began spreading their sound to clubs around the New England area. The music, which has since evolved into a unique blend of aggressive rock n' roll and high-intensity organ funk (some fans have dubbed their genre 'Runk'- a mixture of rock and funk), pays tribute to the masters while consistently pushing itself in new directions. It's as if jazz organ legend Jimmy Smith had been the fifth member of Led Zeppelin, or if the Meters had joined forces with Black Sabbath. Performer Magazine writer Sam Merrick described it best as "a monstrous funk groove that probably would have sent Godzilla running had he been in the neighborhood." This larger-than-life sound is crafted by three talented musicians, Sam Gilman plays a plethora of instruments in Otis Grove, including Hammond organ, Wurlitzer electric piano, Moog synthesizer, clavinet, Rhodes piano, and mellotron. He's a piano technician at Berklee College of Music so he's constantly being exposed to new techniques and approaches. This could explain why the band has such sonic diversity. Tyler Wayne Drabick plays the electric and acoustic guitar for the band, but that's not his only contribution to Otis Grove's sound. Because he owns and operates a Hammond Organ repair shop in Boston, he was able to customize the band's organ and Leslie speaker to achieve more gain and overdrive, as well as chest-pounding deep bass tones which the band describes as "Booty Bass." Last, but not least, Blake Goedde lays down the backbone of Otis Grove's sound on drums and percussion. Having studied with James Brown's drummer Kenwood Dennard, as well as spent countless hours transcribing hip-hop, jazz, funk, rock, and reggae beats, he has come to develop his own intricately funky style. Six years and over 500 shows after its conception, Otis Grove has shared the stage with musicians and bands John Medeski, Billy Martin, Charlie Hunter, DJ Logic, Eric Krasno of Soulive, The New Mastersounds, The Jerry Garcia Band, The Brew, Spiritual Rez,Trombone Shorty, and many more. With a few national and European tours under their belt, Otis Grove is hitting it harder then ever, having played venues from the Paradise Rock club and House of Blues in Boston to Sullivan Hall and the famous Blue Note jazz club and in New York City. The trio-known for their cranked-up, dance-inducing, dynamic live performances- signed with Ropeadope Digital records in early 2008 and are currently promoting their second release on the label, The Runk. © http://www.otisgrove.net/#/about/

Great retro-funkified soul, R&B, rock, and jazz with a touch of hip-hop from a very talented Boston trio. Buy Otis Grove’s great “Live In Boston” album [Tracks @ 250-267 Kbps: File size = 98.9 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Monark (5:17)
2. The Bunk (4:25)
3. Basket Case (3:49)
4. Rock City (4:10)
5. Bobby Nosox (5:20)
6. Uncle Runky (5:28)
7. Plywood Snoeshoe (5:11)
8. Waiting (6:13)
9. I Won't Forget (5:22)
10. Fausto (6:31)

All tracks composed by Gilman, Goedde, Drabick

MUSICIANS

Tyler Wayne Drabick - Guitars
Sam Gilman - Keyboards
Blake Goedde - Drums

Chaz Jankel

Chaz Jankel - The Submarine Has Surfaced - 2010 - Cj Records

Blockheads veteran Chaz Jankel’s “The Submarine Has Surfaced” features a number of contributors from "the UK dance underground" such as Natalia Scott (of Rogue Nouveau), Steven Tart, soul singer Alex Watson and the current Blockheads vocalist Derek Hussey. The album returns to Chaz’s club roots, and has a dominantly jazz-influenced, house feel. Chaz contributes vocals on three tracks. Chaz was responsible for much of the jazzy funk influences in the Blockheads music. He co - wrote many of the best songs in Ian Dury and the Blockheads' catalogue. Songs like “Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll”, “Hit me with your Rhythm stick” and “Clever Trevor” are great songs known to music fans worldwide. As a solo artist, Chaz recorded several albums for A&M. including, Chasanova and Questionnaire which contained the U.S. dance hit, "Glad to Know You". Chaz also penned the Quincy Jones' international hit "Ai no Corrida", and contributed "Do you Mind" to Robbie Williams' latest album "Reality Killed the Video Star". Chaz also wrote the score for The motion picture, "Sex and drugs and Rock and Roll" which was nominated for a BAFTA. It didn’t win. Speaking about the album, Chaz said, "Over the last couple of years I've been writing and sketching out ideas in my studio in Muswell Hill, North London. Although many ideas occur and are recorded, very few are what I would describe as "special", but the 10 songs on this album I think are all unique. On this CD I collaborate with 4 other singer/writers. On " I Come Alive' I worked with Natalia Scott (aka MC Tali..a big name in the drum and bass world.) We met at a Chris Difford songwriting retreat and this was one of our first compositions. On "Hey now" I'm doing the vocals and Derek Hussey co -wrote the lyrics. "The Farside" and "Check the Meaning" are sung by Steven Tart, a very gifted young singer whose star is on the ascendant.. "A Restless Path", "Wise up Baby" and "I Long for You" are all sung by Alex Watson, another great interpreter of lyric and melody. We met when I was signed to Famous Music. That leaves "Tear it up" sung/spoken/wrapped by Derek Hussey who now sings lead vocals with the Blockheads. Oh yeah, the last tune on the album, "The Way it’s Going Down" was co-written with Derek Hussey and I'm doing the singing. Just a simple acoustic song (but with a fancy guitar tuning) to cleanse the palette...the same way slices of orange taste perfect after a spicy Chinese meal....eh voila........dinner is served........."THE SUBMARINE HAS SURFACED"......thanks for listening”. “The Submarine Has Surfaced” is a good album with some terrific hook filled tunes from the great Chaz Jankel, keyboard player, guitarist, and composer with Ian Dury & the Blockheads. The album has many musical elements including house, dance, jazz funk, and soul with great urban and Latin grooves throughout. Chaz gives vague details about the composers of each song. Has anybody got a definitive list of musicians and composers? [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 105 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Wherever We Go
2 I Come Alive
3 Hey Now
4 The Farside
5 A Restless Path
6 Tear It Up
7 Wise Up Baby
8 Check The Meaning
9 I Long For You
10 The Way It’s Going Down

MUSICIANS

Chaz Jankel - Guitars, Keyboards, Drum Programming: Vocals on Tracks 1, 3, 10
Lewis Jankel – Synth Bass: Bass on Track 2
Natalia Scott - Vocals on Track 2
Derek Hussey - Vocals on Tracks 3, 6
Steven Tart - Vocals on Tracks 4, 8
Alex Watson - Vocals on Tracks 5, 7, 9
John Turnbull - Backing Vocals on Tracks 6
Mark Fletcher - Drums on Track 7
Ed Rieband - Trombone on Track 8
Rupert Cobb - Trumpet on Track 8
Hetty Snell - Cello on Track 9

Charlie Hunter Quintet

Charlie Hunter Quintet ‎- Right Now Move - 2003 - Ropeadope Records

The great Rhode Island born guitarist grew up in the San Francisco Bay area playing orthodox six-string guitar. He took lessons from guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani when he was just fourteen. However Charlie had a keen interest in the complex playing of great guitarists like Joe Pass and Tuck Andress and decided he needed more than six strings on a guitar to bring his own jazz ideas to life. While playing both guitar and bass in various Bay Area bands, Charlie developed a seven-string hybrid instrument on which he could play sophisticated lead guitar while playing bass lines simultaneously. Later, in 1992, he designed a prototype of his current 8-string guitar, creating and developing even more original music which few guitarists have been able to emulate. His playing is ingenious. You have to hear this guy playing to realise just how great a guitarist he is, and the futuristic innovation he has employed in his music. Although Charlie easily plays complex and progressive jazz music mixing many music genres, his roots are in jazz music, drawing from modern jazz harmony and influenced by great organ players like Big John Patton, Larry Young, and Jimmy Smith. Importantly, Charlie also avidly listens to, studies and is inspired by all genres of music from around the world, including Latin, rock, funk, soul, and numerous other genres. Charlie says, "I'm really into coming up with and playing different kinds of grooves ... I try to distill all the music I love into something that sounds organic and natural." Don’t let the terms “complex” or “progressive” deter you from listening to any kind of music, especially jazz. Progressive, jazz, and fusion music may be extremely difficult music to play but can also be very easy and enjoyable to listen to. The fact that Charlie plays an instrument which he designed himself says a lot about his love of music. His aspirations in developing his own original musical concepts is truly commendable in today’s dire music scene. Farrell Lowe in AllAboutJazz wrote that “Hunter appears to approach his unique eight-string guitar from a Hammond B-3 perspective. His bass lines often sound like they could more likely have been generated on the pedals under an organist's feet than from the fatter strings of his instrument. To his credit, Hunter has, by incorporating organ tonal qualities and the swirling impression of a Leslie speaker, come a long way towards creating his own sound on the guitar. As a guitarist, Hunter's technique on the instrument is nothing short of awe-inspiring. He is adding his voice to the rich heritage of the extended-range guitar work of players like George Van Eps, Howard Alden, Bucy Pizzarelli, and Egberto Gismonti. His phrasing and articulation is fluid and confident—he is a major player”. Farrell also said that, “Right Now Move should be a no-brainer for folks who like the music of Medeski, Martin and Wood, due to their similarities in style and background; it should also be of particular interest to fans of Blue Note-era organ combos. Charlie Hunter could be the 21st century's equivalent to Grant Green—in a good way!” Although Charlie Hunter is a hugely talented guitarist, he proves on this album that long histrionic shredding guitar solos do not make either a great album or a great guitarist. All the tracks on “Right Now Move” are first takes. Charlie wrote twelve of the album’s thirteen tracks, and the musicianship is spontaneous and superb. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Speaking about music, Charlie Hunter said this, and it is very relevant in the dire music scene today, "Part of my theory about music is that too much of today's popular music has become two-dimensional. The corporate middleman forces artists into making music that's 2D - it's flat. It used to be that A and R people would find pop artists like Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye, who might be attractive or beautiful, but they were also extremely talented and musical. Now, the corporate structure forces artists into an artificial mould design for mass consumption. And the product doesn't end up communicating very deeply to people. I want my music to be 3D, reflective of the reality we live in, something for real people to relate to who live in a real community. Real people have to get up and go to work in the morning. I want my music to speak to them and make their lives better as a result." Check out Charlie’s “Copperopolis” album on this blog, and listen to Charlie Hunter Trio’s outstanding “Friends Seen and Unseen” album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 148 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Mestre Data 4:36
2 Oakland 6:09
3 Changui 3:45
4 Try 7:12
5 Whoop-Ass 4:23
6 Interlude 10:54
7 Wade In The Water 5:02
8 20th Congress 5:45
9 Interlude 5 0:52
10 Winky 6:01
11 Freak Fest 4:39
12 Mali 6:57
13 Le Bateau Live 5:51

All tracks composed by Charlie Hunter except Track 7 (Trad.)

MUSICIANS

Charlie Hunter - 8 String Guitar, Pandeiro
Derrek Phillips - Drums, Percussion
John Ellis - Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet
Curtis Fowlkes - Trombone
Gregoire Maret - Chromatic Harmonica

BIO

As a young guitarist growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Charlie Hunter was looking for a way to stand out in the '80s. His primary influences were jazz great Joe Pass and the fluid Tuck Andress (of the guitar/vocal duo Tuck & Patti), both six-string guitarists who were adept at blending bass notes into their standard guitar melodies to make themselves sound like two musicians at once. But Hunter wanted to take it one step further, and set out to find an instrument on which he could simultaneously function as both a guitarist and a bassist. For his self-titled 1993 debut CD, Hunter played a seven-string guitar for the duality effect, locking down the bottom with drummer Jay Lane and mixing melodically with saxophonist David Ellis. But on his trio's 1995 sophomore release, Bing, Bing, Bing!, Hunter unveiled his custom-made Novax eight-string, the guitar that finally allowed him to realize his capacity. Designed by Ralph Novak, the instrument featured special frets and separatesignals for its guitar and bass portions. Picking bass notes with his right thumb while fretting them with his left index finger (while at the same time fingerpicking guitar chords and single notes with his right hand's remaining four digits as he frets with his left hand's other three fingers), Hunter achieves the real sound of two-for-one. Hunter played with the side group T.J. Kirk in the mid-'90s, a band that derived their name from the cover material they exclusively played: Thelonious Monk, James Brown, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Initially wanting to call themselves James T. Kirk before being threatened by the Star Trek TV and film series, T.J. Kirk released a self-titled 1995 debut and the 1996 follow-up, If Four Was One, before disbanding. Hunter took drummer Scott Amendola with him for his next project, an ambitious instrumental remake of Bob Marley's Natty Dread album in its entirety. Also featuring saxophonists Kenny Brooks and Calder Spanier, the 1997 release beat the odds by becoming arguably Hunter's best album. After Spanier died from injuries sustained from being hit by a car, Hunter moved east to New York, taking Amendola with him. Teaming with vibraphonist Stefon Harris and percussionist John Santos, Charlie Hunter & Pound for Pound's 1998 CD Return of the Candyman is dedicated to Spanier. A departure from Natty Dread, mainly due to the work of Harris, the disc featured a vibes-heavy cover of Steve Miller's "Fly Like an Eagle." Hunter's modus operandi had now become shifting personnel changes, and in between tours he recorded a 1999 duo CD with drummer/percussionist Leon Parker and a self-titled 2000 CD that featured Parker and an otherwise ensemble cast. Hunter also contributed greatly to the 2000comeback CD by drummer Mike Clark, Actual Proof. Hunter concluded his run at Blue Note with 2001's Songs from the Analog Playground, which saw him collaborating with vocalists for the first time, ranging from labelmates Norah Jones and Kurt Elling to Mos Def. 2003 found Hunter with a new label (Ropeadope) and two new bands (the Charlie Hunter Quintet) on Right Now Move, and the beginning of Groundtruther, a partnership with percussionist/composer Bobby Previte. They released Come in Red Dog, This Is Tango Leader before adopting the Groundtruther moniker. For 2003's Friends Seen and Unseen, it was back to the Charlie Hunter Trio, with drummer Derrek Phillips and saxman John Ellis, both members of the Quintet. By now, Groundtruther had taken on a life of its own, with Hunter and Previte joined by a rotating third member. Latitude was first, in 2004 with saxophonist Greg Osby, followed by Longitude with DJ Logic in 2005. In 2006, the Charlie Hunter Trio resurfaced with Copperopolis and almost immediately announced that it was disbanding as Ellis wanted to further pursue a solo career. What to do? Form another trio! After recruiting Erik Deutsch on keys and Simon Lott on drums, they released Mistico in the summer of 2007, Hunter's first album for Fantasy. © Bill Meredith © 2013 AllMusic, a division of All Media Network, LLC. | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/charlie-hunter-mn0000806601/biography

Stanton Moore

Stanton Moore - Flyin' the Koop -2002 - Blue Thumb Records

Galactic drummer Stanton Moore returns for his sophomore solo effort on a major label with a host of super-choppers at his side, including Chris Wood from Medeski, Martin & Wood, the Greyboy Allstars' Karl Denson, saxophonist Skerik, guitarist Brian Seeger, and New Orleans Mardi Gras Indians and all around vocalists extraordinaire the Wild Magnolias. As on his debut, All Kooked Out, Moore's primary motivating factor is the almighty groove and how to present it in challenging, innovative settings. And he does it here. There's the jazzed-out funky romp of "Tang the Hump," with a subtle New Orleans second-line rhythm backing up the syncopation. And then there's the drum skank on "Fallin' off the Floor," where Chris Wood and Moore play deep, blue funk as the horns play the line. But Moore is also capable of being a jazzer, and he displays this to the hilt on the beautifully driven, R&B-inflected "Prairie Sunset," whose lyrical invention is as gorgeously intricate as any saxophonist's. Also is the deep funk jazz on the intense, jam-oriented "Launcho Diablo," with dueling flute and saxophones in between the rhythmic accents. The drive here is almost Afro-funk, but its architecture is strictly jazz, with the knotty key changes and improvised middle, with a screaming guitar solo Seeger. Moore is a solid bandleader and composer who stresses the groove as the backbone of every track; everything must move along a perimeter of backbone slipping greasy punch, no matter where it comes from originally or gets to. In many ways, as satisfying as Galactic can be live, Moore manages to be the same way on record. He's got the party fully in hand and knows how to make its dynamics work, carrying the listener up to the threshold, slipping them into a little loose-groove meditation, and carrying them out on the steaming rhythmic rail. This is every bit as good as his debut and is as good as any New Orleans record you're likely to find in the 21st century. © Thom Jurek © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/flyin-the-koop-mw0000214727

One of the best jazz funk albums released since the 1970’s and VHR by A.O.O.F.C. The “Stanton Moore III” album is another great album of terrific horn work and funky grooves [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 116 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Tang the Hump - Karl Denson / Stanton Moore / Chris Wood
2. Fallin 'Off - Karl Denson / Stanton Moore / Chris Wood
3. Let's Go - Brian Seeger
4. Launcho Diablo - Karl Denson / Stanton Moore / Chris Wood
5. Prairie Sunset - Karl Denson / Stanton Moore / Chris Wood
6. Things Fall Apart - Karl Denson / Stanton Moore / Chris Wood
7. Amy's Lament - Stanton Moore
8. Magnolia Triangle - James Black
9. Hunch - Brian Seeger
10. Bottoms Up - Stanton Moore / Chris Wood
11. For the Record - Brian Seeger
12. Organized Chaos - Stanton Moore / Chris Wood

MUSICIANS

Brian Seeger – Guitar
Chris Wood - Bass (Medeski, Martin and Wood)
Stanton Moore – Drums
Karl Denson - Saxophone, Flute (Lenny Kravitz, The Greyboy Allstars)
Skerik - Saxophone (Les Claypool, Critters Buggin)

BIO

A New Orleans musician in every sense of the word, drummer Stanton Moore's main gig is with his enormously popular funk band Galactic but he also plays with a wide variety of other musicians in both club and studio settings. Growing up in New Orleans, Moore was attracted to the thriving music scene, where he absorbed the work of Professor Longhair, Meters drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, and his mentor, Johnny Vidacovich. After meeting founding Galactic members Robert Mercurio and Rich Vogel in the early '90s, Moore played in a series of early versions of the group, including Galactic Prophylactic and the Ivanhoes (in which the band learned a good portion of the catalog of the legendary Meters, New Orleans' founding funk band). In 1994, producer Dan Prothero featured the band's song "Black Eyed Pea" on his Is That Jazz compilation. The band soon recorded Coolin' Off (1996) for Fog City Records, joined in the studio (and, eventually, on the road) by vocalist Theryl Declouet. Through constant touring, Moore met and collaborated with many established funk and jazz musicians, including Medeski, Martin & Wood keyboardist John Medeski, Karl Denson, and even the Meters' bassist George Porter, Jr. Two musicians that Moore hit it off with in particular were eight-string guitarist and T.J. Kirk founder Charlie Hunter and saxophonist Skerik. With this core, the band played a handful of live dates and, in the weeks after Mardi Gras 1998, cut what would become Moore's first solo disc, All Kooked Out! The disc also featured a handful of New Orleans horn players, including Brent Rose, Brian Seeger, Matt Perrine, Ben Ellman, and former Sun Ra trumpet player Michael Ray. Following the recording of Crazyhorse Mongoose with Galactic, crammed in between Galactic tours, Moore traveled with Hunter and Skerik, playing incendiary live shows throughout the West. Many of Moore's songs are included in Galactic's set list. He has often played around New Orleans with a revolving cast of musicians, billed as Moore and More. He has also been a member of the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars. He has released a handful of solo albums, following 1998's previously mentioned All Kooked Out! with Flyin' the Koop in 2001, III in 2006, and Emphasis! On Parenthesis in 2008. Moore has continued to remain active as a member of Galactic, which released their groundbreaking Ya-Ka-May on Anti in February of 2010, and as a solo artist. In April of that year he released Groove Alchemy on the Telarc Jazz imprint. © Jesse Jarnow © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved © http://www.allmusic.com/artist/stanton-moore-mn0000013038

Stanton Moore

Stanton Moore - Groove Alchemy - 2010 - Telarc

Hooray for truth in advertising: It's no accident that this solo CD from Galactic drummer Stanton Moore has the word “groove” in its title, because grooving is what this disc is all about. Recorded simply with a trio consisting only of Moore, guitarist Will Bernard, and standout Robert Walter on Hammond B3 organ (presumably playing the bass parts with his feet), this music is sparse, simple and smart. Most tracks set up a nice cooking groove over which Bernard and Walter can improvise as Moore keeps things sharp and steady. Individual songs don't seem to matter much; it's the collective experience that impresses here, along with the smart composition (mostly by Moore and his band members) and of course, the grooving sounds. Also, this is some of the best engineering I've heard recently of instrumental music. Bass response is surprisingly tasty considering it's coming from an organ. Moore's drums drive the tunes with great clarity. If you dig old-time R&B-based groove-driven music from the likes of Booker T & the MGs, drive up to this and stay a while. by & © Howard Whitman on May 12, 2010 © http://www.technologytell.com/blog/2878/solo-cd-galactic-drummer-stanton-moore-groove-alchemy/

Stanton Moore serves up a swinging, funky sound that permeates the new CD, Groove Alchemy. Inspired by his New Orleans roots in the music of Professor Longhair, The Meters and Dr. John, the trio tears through a variety of concise and vibrant tracks. From the downbeat drum intro of the first number, Squash Blossom, the listener is taken for a rhythmic journey that acts as a reminder that music can be entertaining and fun. The interplay of the B3 and electric guitar provide a consistent, melodic landscape, fueled by Moore’s superb drumming. Whether the band is hammering the syncopated feel of Pie-Eyed Manic, or the uptempo, jazzy nuance of Knocker, the tremendous precision manages to elevate the sound beyond the narrowness of genre. Not relying entirely on funk grooves, there are blues numbers, Root Cellar ( a swinging fusion piece replete with a rare extended guitar solo ), and Up To Here, with a straight ahead organ lead. Of course there is a traditional Dixieland arrangement, Keep On Gwine, which features Robert Waller on the piano. Upbeat rockers like Pot Licker and Cleanse This House are energetic and create a harder edge. The group finishes with two slower undistinguished tunes: Aletta, the George Jones ode to romantic melancholy, and He Stopped Loving Her Today. The concise arrangements emphasize the symmetry and harmonics of the players. Instead of elongated solos, each musician is able to interpret the melody lines in a seamless interplay with each other. Clocking in at a mere 54 minutes, the 12 tracks have a lively pace. (Note: There is a companion instructional DVD for drums) © Robbie Gerson [Stanton Moore – Groove Alchemy – Telarc Records TEL-31890-02, 54:12 ***½] © Audiophile Audition All rights Reserved http://audaud.com/2010/05/stanton-moore-%E2%80%93-groove-alchemy-%E2%80%93-telarc-records/

Those expecting anything revolutionary or particularly new from Stanton Moore's trio with guitarist Will Bernard and Robert Walter on B-3 on Groove Alchemy will either be wonderfully relieved or woefully disappointed -- there isn’t. The CD is aural evidence of the trio doing what it does best: being funky and playing in a relaxed, open style that keeps the grooves tight and the musicianship at a maximum. And it's enough.Check out the guitar and organ solos in “Squash Bottom,” the first of these dozen tracks. The popping vamps create the vibe and give way naturally -- thanks to Moore’s deadly breaks -- to Bernard’s multi-string chord solo and the percussive organ flow Walter is so famous for. Things get downright Meters-esque on “Pie-Eyed Manic,” with stuttering breaks and two sets of riffs answering one another after four bars apiece. And on it goes, though “Pot Licker” is the funkiest Walter has ever sounded on the B-3. Bernard pushes his chords and leads right through the melody to let the left-hand organ bassline stick out front. Moore just rolls through and develops his grooves as he plays. There is a cover of James Booker's “Keep on Gwine” on which Walter plays piano. Though he does so beautifully, it’s more about Moore’s ability to let his Crescent City, second-line swing develop and carry the tune. There’s a longish cover of “Neeps and Tatties” that becomes an outright rhythm brawl between Walter and Moore, as Bernard just eases into the flow and lets the knottier side of his guitar style get into the fray -- all without letting the groove lilt. The real curve ball on this set is in its final track, a cover of the George Jones’ country vehicle “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” Bernard leads the way with his guitar on the melody, and Moore plays doubles on the front side rather than the backbeat. It’s still a ballad, but one that carries a distinctly New Orleans feel as it swells toward the end. Groove Alchemy is simply a good-time funky record, full of great beats, killer guitar, and nasty organ by a trio that knows how not to mess up a good thing. © Thom Jurek © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/groove-alchemy-r1739065/review

This album is also available on Hudson music with an instructional book and DVD of the same name. Drummer Stanton Moore along with guitarist Will Bernard, and keyboardist Robert Walter explore the roots of funk rhythms in drumming by examining the work of pioneers like Jabo Starks, Clyde Stubblefield, and Zigaboo Modeliste who were part of James Brown’s and the Meters’ great rhythm sections during the 1960s and based their styles on early 20th century New Orleans rhythms. Stanton has said that "A lot of the drummers that we consider to be the greatest groove players-Earl Palmer, Zigaboo Modeliste, John Bonham, Steve Jordan, John Jabo Starks- grew up hearing jazz and music that swung. They were all raised on Big Band jazz, bebop, blues, rhythm and blues, early rock''n''roll-all music based on swing. To be able to really groove, I think it''s important to be able to swing. With swing, it''s not enough to just play the notes. You have to make the notes feel good and groove. If you’re just a listener and a music fan, you can pick up the record and totally dig it for the music itself,” says Moore. “There’s nothing about that experience that has to be instructional. But if you’re a drummer, and you want to understand how I came up with these beats and understand the history of the music as I know it, in the hopes that you might deepen your knowledge and come up with new grooves as a result, then you can check out the book and the DVD.”Stanton has also said that "I don’t really put a lot of weight on genres at all. I love all types of music. I might listen to some jazz when I fall asleep and then wake up, start cooking something, and be in the mood for Black Sabbath [laughs], Desmond Dekker or John Coltrane. There are only two genres of music to me; good music and bad music. I really just don’t worry about it too much. I like to pick tunes for the record that are going to demonstrate certain vibes and different aspects of my drumming. I like to play different things stylistically, but I don’t get really hung up on it because I love all different kinds of music as long as it’s GOOD". "Groove Alchemy" is a brilliant rhythmic jazz funk recording that blends jazz, funk, R&B, pop, and hard rock. The music is steeped in New Orleans' influences and a lot more. There is plenty of experimentation and exploration on this album, but it always holds your attention, and improves with repeated listening. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Stanton's brilliant "III" album. Stanton Moore Trio's "Emphasis! On Parenthesis" album is @ STMO30/EMPOPAR [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 138 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Squash Blossom - Robert Walter 4:32
2. Pie-Eyed Manc - Stanton Moore & Robert Walter4:49
3. Pot Licker - Robert Walter 4:35
4. Root Cellar - Will Bernard 4:47
5. Keep on Gwine - Melvin Lastie 5:23
6. Neeps and Tatties - Will Bernard 6:18
7. Up to Here - Robert Walter 3:57
8. Knocker - Robert Walter 5:10
9. Shiftless - Robert Walter 5:12
10. Cleanse This House - Robert Walter 4:13
11. Aletta - Stanton Moore & Erkan Gursal 2:10
12. He Stopped Loving Her Today - Robert Valentine Braddock & Claude Jr. Putnam 3:09

MUSICIANS

Will Bernard - Guitar
Robert Walter - Hammond B3 Organ, Piano
Stanton Moore - Drums

BIO

A New Orleans musician in every sense of the word, drummer Stanton Moore's main gig is with his enormously popular funk band Galactic but he also plays with a wide variety of other musicians in both club and studio settings. Growing up in New Orleans, Moore was attracted to the thriving music scene, where he absorbed the work of Professor Longhair, Meters drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, and his mentor, Johnny Vidacovich. After meeting founding Galactic members Robert Mercurio and Rich Vogel in the early '90s, Moore played in a series of early versions of the group, including Galactic Prophylactic and the Ivanhoes (in which the band learned a good portion of the catalog of the legendary Meters, New Orleans' founding funk band). In 1994, producer Dan Prothero featured the band's song "Black Eyed Pea" on his Is That Jazz compilation. The band soon recorded Coolin' Off (1996) for Fog City Records, joined in the studio (and, eventually, on the road) by vocalist Theryl Declouet. Through constant touring, Moore met and collaborated with many established funk and jazz musicians, including Medeski, Martin & Wood keyboardist John Medeski, Karl Denson, and even the Meters' bassist George Porter, Jr. Two musicians that Moore hit it off with in particular were eight-string guitarist and T.J. Kirk founder Charlie Hunter and saxophonist Skerik. With this core, the band played a handful of live dates and, in the weeks after Mardi Gras 1998, cut what would become Moore's first solo disc, All Kooked Out! The disc also featured a handful of New Orleans horn players, including Brent Rose, Brian Seeger, Matt Perrine, Ben Ellman, and former Sun Ra trumpet player Michael Ray. Following the recording of Crazyhorse Mongoose with Galactic, crammed in between Galactic tours, Moore traveled with Hunter and Skerik, playing incendiary live shows throughout the West. Many of Moore's songs are included in Galactic's set list. He has often played around New Orleans with a revolving cast of musicians, billed as Moore and More. He has also been a member of the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars. He has released a handful of solo albums, following 1998's previously mentioned All Kooked Out! with Flyin' the Koop in 2001, III in 2006, and Emphasis! On Parenthesis in 2008. Moore has continued to remain active as a member of Galactic, which released their groundbreaking Ya-Ka-May on Anti in February of 2010, and as a solo artist. In April of that year he released Groove Alchemy on the Telarc Jazz imprint. © Jesse Jarnow © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/stanton-moore-p294573/biography

Wamma Jamma

Wamma Jamma - Kominatcha - 2000 - Armadillo

WammaJamma are a powerful four-piece band formed in 1990 by founder member/front man Nick Parkes. Immediately identifiable, their original sound is derived from using sax, harp, Yamaha WX7 and guitar as frontline instruments, creating an incredible fullness of sound and a surprising range of dynamics. Gig guides have consistently struggled to pigeonhole their music; a blend of blues, jazz, funk and rock, so the band invented a new pigeonhole to describe it: "JAZZFUNKINRYTHMNSLEAZYUPTEMPOROCKIN": "SOULSEARCHINHARDDRINKINALKALINEBLUES": Having consistently toured they have built up a large following appearing at festivals including the main stage at The Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival at Colne, The Edinburgh Festival, The Gloucester Blues Festival, Bike rallies and The Heineken Big Top. They also have played universities, clubs and theatres on the British, Irish and European circuits and recorded a live session for the Paul Jones Radio 2 show. Now after taking some time out, Nick is back on the road with a new line-up and their current album Kominatcha. © Armadillo Music Ltd 2007 http://www.bluearmadillo.com/artistpage.php?artist=19

A great contemporary mix of blues, jazz, rock, and funk. These guys can really play. The main man, Nick Parkes, produces some dynamic sax and harp work, and the guitar work from Phil Jones is classy. The band were originally formed in Cornwall, England in 1990 by Nick Parkes and Mike Hellier (Waterboys, Johnny Thunders, Sherman Robertson, James Hunter). The band built up a successful reputation as a touring outfit in the '90's. They quit touring in 1996 and disbanded. A few band members got together to record Kominatcha in 2000, which is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Nick Parkes continued gigging in clubs and pubs throughout the UK, and reformed the band in 2010. Try and listen to the bands "Six By Four" album, and read more about the band @ http://www.movinmusic.co.uk/wamma_jamma.htm If these guys are playing in your area, try and catch them. Like so many other artists on this blog, this band could do with more recognition and promotion.

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. The Trip - Nick Parkes
2. Knowin It - Phil Jones, Nick Parkes
3. Wotcha Gonna Tell Me - Nick Parkes
4. Walk Away - Nick Parkes
5. C. Jay - Nick Parkes
6. It Gets You - Nick Parkes
7. Slow Walk - Sil Austin, Connie Moore, Irving Siders
8. Hangin on a String - Nick Parkes
9. Fool You - Nick Parkes
10. Dark - Phil Jones, Nick Parkes
11. 6/1 Too - Nick Parkes
12. Kominatcha - Phil Jones, Nick Parkes
13. Low Down and Dirty - Phil Jones
14. Harlem Nocturne - Earle Hagen

MUSICIANS

Phil Jones - Guitars
Dave Brown - Bass
Nick Parkes - Sax, Harp, Yamaha WX7, Vocals
Mike Rolling - Drums

The Groove Hogs

The Groove Hogs - Blue Rhythms White Lies - 2004 - Pixel Max Entertainment

I wasn't expecting much from a band named the Groove Hogs on an unknown label. Boy was I pleasantly surprised! I got my first clue that my perceptions might be wrong, when I saw the name Jim Gaines listed as the CD's producer. This is a guy whose name has been associated with some of the greatest blues and rock releases in the last 15 to 20 years. I'm talking classic's like Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Sky Is Crying', Steve Miller's 'Fly Like An Eagle' or Albert Collin's 'Ice Man', to mention only a few. If I listed all of Gaine's credits, it would take up pages and the classics would amaze most readers. So I wondered how a band virtually unknown outside of their Wisconsin precinct garnered such a well known producer. My curiosity was aroused. So by the time I put the disc in the player I was getting pretty anxious. The first strains of the opener 'Soul Infatuation' begin with funky J.B. Horns style charts, and then a smooth polished vocal entered the mix. By the end of this first tune the band was reminding me of the soulful Alex Chilton led The Association of the 60's, or Ides Of March of the 70's or even a slick Tower Of Power. Basically this was a great white, horn dominated, R&B influenced band that draws its influences from that era. Throughout the disc Jim Gaines sure hand was evident, there is a certain pop sheen that predominates the whole recording. The Hogs themselves are a ten man aggregation led by Adam Enevoldsen on vocals and slide guitar. He's a new member added to the roster only recently after the departure of their long term front man, Ron Hanson. He's backed up by Pat Kiel on guitar. The bottom is held down by John Laws on bass and John Stelzer drums. Keyboards and back-up vocal chores are handled by, Brian Gruselle. Last, but with this band, certainly not least, the horn section, Greg Garcia and Tom Vanden Avond brass, while the saxes are manned by Adam Plamann, Steve Cooper and Doug Daniels. This is basically a bands album with only some additional vocals added on two cuts. Five of the eleven tracks are originals written by different band members. The six covers they've selected are mostly obscure tunes. Examples are the Bruce McCabe and Jonny Lang song 'Stop Pushin' On Me', Elvin Bishop's, 'Got To Get My Groove Back', or Dennis Walker's 'Too Little, Too Late'. These are not tunes that are widely known. Consequently, even these covers have a fresh feel. Musicianship throughout the disc is top notch, whether it be the funky 'J.B. Horns' style opener, the Huey Lewis like pop sound of 'How Wrong Can You Be' to the Tower Of Power strutting feel of 'Shoulda' Read The Rules' or the soulful Muscle Shoals take on the ballad 'Too Little, Too Late'. They certainly aquit themselves as a veteran unit they are, they have three CD's already behind them. This is a band we should be hearing a lot more of and with the assistance of a talent like Jim Gaines, they have every chance to exponentially increase their exposure. Review by & © Brian Augustine © http://www.sierrabluessociety.org/Reviews6.htm#Groove

"Blue Rhythms White Lies" is an exceptional album from this Wisconsin based band. The orchestration and arrangements are top notch. The hooky Rock 'n Soul vocals are also first class. The sound is funky jazz soul blues/R&B, in the early Tower Of Power or Chicago (the band) style. The horns are beautifully played. Slide guitar and guitar from Adam Enevoldsen and Pat Kiel respectively is terrific. The album is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy the band's "No Small Feat" album, and promote real music. Listen to the band playing Steely Dan's "Pretzel Logic" @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUHiSGiScdk

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Soul Infatuation - Adam Plamann
2. Long Gone - Adam Enevoldsen
3. Stop Pushin' On Me - Jack Holder, Jonny Lang, Bruce McCabe, Dave Smith
4. How Wrong Can You Be? - Max Groenanthal, Steven Grace Roche
5. Waiting On You - Forest Mankowski
6. I'll Be On My Way - Brian Gruselle
7. Blind Man - Pat Kiel
8. Lovin' You Would Be A Crime - Brian Gruselle
9. Got To Get My Groove Back - Elvin Bishop, Bobby Cochran
10. Shoulda Read The Rules - Joel Handtmann
11. Too Little Too Late - Alan Mirikitani, Dennis Walker

MUSICIANS

Adam Enevoldsen (vocals, slide guitar)
Pat Kiel (guitar)
John Laws (bass instrument)
Brian Gruselle (keyboards, background vocals)
John Stelzer (drums, background vocals)
Steve Cooper (vocals, tenor saxophone)
Adam Plamann (vocals, baritone saxophone)
Doug Daniels (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone)
Greg Garcia (trumpet)
Tom Vanden Avond (trombone)
Jackie Johnson, Rebecca Evans Russell (voices) on Tracks 3, & 11

ABOUT THE BAND

The Groove Hogs - a band of 9, blazing a trail through the "what's hot, what's not" music scene of the 21st century. In a market inundated with cookie cutter, wanna-be, bands, The Groove Hogs have retained artistic integrity and melded the sum of their individual influences into something that is truly fresh and exciting. The Hogs have created a sound that is uniquely their own. Just a great band to have for any private party, wedding , corporate event or festival. 2002 was the first big year for The Groove Hogs. They released their highly successful, WRONG SIDE OF THE STREET, produced by the exceptionally sought after Jim Gaines. The most popular track on the CD was "Blues is my Business" , which, during the summer of '02, held court for five weeks on the FMQB Hot 100 rock radio chart, and received an impressive amount of airplay on AAA stations around the US. Additionally, the track 'Baby's Gone' from the release was included on the NARMS GET THE BLUES 2 compilation CD which has sold more than 85,000 copies to date and has been in the BILLBOARD BLUES CHARTS TOP 5 since July of 2003. The Groove Hogs sold a whopping 20,000 copies of WRONG SIDE OF THE STREET, which is a very rare accomplishment for a band releasing a CD on its own label. 2004 marked The Groove Hogs' 10th anniversary and the release of their fourth CD. Also produced by Jim Gaines, this newest release, BLUE RHYTHMS AND WHITE LIES, treats listeners to the talents of a group of seasoned musicians wrapping around the impressive vocal ability of the young and soulful Adam Enevoldsen. BLUE RHYTHMS AND WHITE LIES explores traditional soul stylings, some pop/rock, tried and traditional R& B, and some honest to goodness blues......All American music, and all with The Groove Hogs' powerhouse energy that has become their trademark. With a 9 member lineup, and a melting pot of musical diversity, the Groove Hogs are making it on their own brand of soul drippin' rock & roll. 2007 finds the Groove Hogs preparing for a busy summer schedule. With the addition of bass guitarist Drew Hicks, the band continues to grow in both style and impact. With future plans for a live DVD, the Hogs are very busy working to prepare a show you just can't forget! When the Groove Hogs show up in your neighborhood, do yourself a favor and get out to see them. You'll be in for a treat like few you've ever experienced from a live band! Milwaukee Live bands is proud to feature the Groove Hogs - Just when you thought good music was a thing of the past. © 2010 Milwaukee Live Bands http://www.milwaukeeliveentertainment.com/band_profile.asp?bandid=205

MORE

The year was 1994. It was a long, cold, icy, Wisconsin winter, but that didn't deter the Groove-Hogs-to-be from their calling. They were forming a blues band, which was to be a side project for four jaded pop stars. The band was to be a musical release, of sorts. The original four Groove Hogs were having such a great time with their hobby band, that in 1996, they decided to add a 4-piece horn section. Not only did they double the band's size, their sound became bigger, too. This gave the Hogs a means to expand upon the blues based music they had been playing. And, much to their liking, the new and bigger sound was just as appealing to their audience as it was to the band. Thus The Groove Hogs went from hobby status to a full-fledged commitment. All band members dropped their other music projects and plunged whole hog, into The Groove Hogs! The band soon turned its attention to songwriting. With so many styles and musical influences in one band, it would seem impossible for a group of their size to agree on anything, let alone a musical direction. But the eclectic combination proved to be their strength, and in 1997, they recorded and released their first CD, the self-titled THE GROOVE HOGS. Their second release NO SMALL FEAT, followed in 2000. Both CDs were on the receiving end of critical acclaim. 2002 was the first big year for The Groove Hogs. They released their highly successful, WRONG SIDE OF THE STREET, produced by the exceptionally sought after Jim Gaines. The most popular track on the CD was "Blues is my Business" , which, during the summer of '02, held court for five weeks on the FMQB Hot 100 rock radio chart, and received an impressive amount of airplay on AAA stations around the US. © 2001 - 2010 Groove Hogs Incorporated. All Rights Reserved http://www.groovehogs.com/Bio/default.asp

The Blue Method

The Blue Method - Kill The Music, Vol. 1- 2004 - Blue Method

Somebody called The Blue Method's music a cross between the "Brand New Heavies" and "Jamiroquai". This is not too far off the mark. It could also be a cross between Stevie Wonder, and the Average White Band. Many people believe that this kind of music was at it's best in the '70's. The Blue Method have shown that great funk music is alive and well in the 2000's. If you like Grade A funk, soulful R&B, with a touch of Gospel and Motown and a flavour of Delta blues and New Orleans jazz, this album is for you. The Blue Method are a hugely talented outfit. Their playing is tight. Brian William’s soulful voice is exceptional. Tom Long's sax work is truly great. The music is full of complex riffs masterfully executed. All in all, an outstanding album and VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Try and listen to the band's "Kill The Music, Vol. 2", and buy TBM's "Volume: LIVE!" album

TRACKS

1. Jingle (For a Commercial)
2. Haitian Sensation
3. Don't They
4. Sad Thing
5. Backporch
6. Kill the Music
7. Thing's I'll Do
8. First Plan of Redemption
9. Pulpit Fiction
10. Something DeVine
11. Getonoutro

All songs composed by The Blue Method except "First Plan of Redemption" by The Blue Method (Music), and Brian Williams & Lakecia Davis (Lyrics)

BAND

Mike Patriarca - Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Dobro
Dan Schram - Bass, Backing Vocals
Scott Stalone - Keyboards, Organ
Luke O'Riley - Hammond Organ
David Duffin - Drums
Luis DiCupe - Percussion
Brian Williams - Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Trumpet, Valve Trombone
Tom Long - Alto, Tenor & Baritone Sax, Clarinet, Accordion, Mandolin, Percussion, Beat Machine, Backing Vocals
Shakira Jones, Alicia Dessau - Backing Vocals

BIO

The story of The Blue Method is a story defined by two words; perseverance and determination. The band was formed in 2001 by founding members Michael Patriarca (guitar) and Tom Long (saxophone). Both were left picking up the pieces from the sudden and tragic death of their long time friend and former lead singer, Sean Gatson. With one album and a slew of gigs under their belt, the two men began to assemble the cast of musicians for their new musical venture, "The Blue Method". They were introduced to singer Brian Williams through a mutual friend. Brian was a larger than life man with the voice to match. His singing and lyrics are a throwback to a time when soul singers sang like men, and had a clear and concise message to deliver. Together with their new rhythm section, this quintet began writing immediately and building a legion of friends and followers throughout the region. In 2003 The Blue Method entered the studio to begin recording their debut album "Kill the Music, Vol.1" Things seemed to be running pretty smooth. Midway through the recording of their first record, the rhythm section decided it was time to call it quits. This left the three original members with a decision to make: press on with the album and re group, or fold. The three decided that they had invested far too much to turn back now, so they opted to replace the rhythm section and continue on. Long time friend Theron Shelton was the called to handle the drumming duties. From the first "jam session" everyone knew that Theron was the perfect fit. His drumming and personality added new life and energy to band. The next two years were spent touring the east coast and mid western region, building an extremely loyal following of friends and fans alike. Along the way The Blue Method has shared the stage with the likes of Soulive, Chick Corea, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, The Benevento Russo Duo, Ozomatli, John Legend, Little Feat, Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers Band), Leela James, The Disco Biscuits, and Ween. They have also managed to sell over 7000 copies of their album "Kill the Music, Vol 1", which is no small task for a completely independent act. In 2005 The Blue Method was named "Best New Act" by the Home Grown Music Network. Their song "Don't They" holds the record as the all time #1 funk song at Garageband.com. In 2005 they also won the annual Relix Magazine Jam-off award. The Blue Method now averages over 150 shows a year. The band has improved their sound even further by adding Philadelphia bassist Rah Sungee to the lineup. The Blue Method will release their much anticipated sophomore album in April of 2007. © JamBase Inc. 1998 - 2010 All Rights Reserved http://www.jambase.com/Artists/13294/The-Blue-Method/Bio

Jamiroquai

Jamiroquai - Live In Verona - 2002 - Sony Music Entertainment (UK)

"November 11th sees Jamiroquai, one of the UK's most successful bands of the last decade, release a live DVD, capturing one of Jay Kay and the band's electrifying live shows for the first time in their phenomenal 10 year career. Recorded in June, on a wild and stormy summer night in Italy's stunning Verona Amphitheatre on the European leg of Jamiroquai's 'Funk Odyssey World Tour 2002' this DVD, packed with extra features, shows exactly why Jamiroquai have sold over 20 million albums and how they earned their reputation as one of the world's greatest live acts." "Jay Kay - funk troubadour, charismatic lead vocalist and occasional stand up comedian, MC's the stormy night's affair with all the flair of a front man at the height of his powers. Busting incredible moves in the torrential rain and singing his heart out, Jay and his super-tight band play a (literally) storming 90 minute set including Top 10 Jamiroquai classics from 'Virtual Insanity' and 'Cosmic Girl' to 'Funk Odyssey' favourites 'Little L' and 'Love Foolosophy'. By the time they play their No.1 smash, 'Deeper Underground', they blow the (metaphorical) roof right off the spectacular Roman Amphitheatre." "The DVD also contains exclusive documentary footage and there is a special guest appearance at the show from the UK's finest soul diva, Beverley Knight, who sings on 'Main Vein' and the added bonus version of 'Love Foolosophy'. The filming encompasses a 15 camera shoot and extra features include 360 degree shots on DVD Rom and multi angle tracks which feature solely on Jay Kay, except for 'Love Foolosophy' which includes Beverley Knight. The unique package perfectly captures the night's extraordinary and unique atmosphere - at one moment it even sees Jay literally swimming along the stage much to the glee of the ecstatic crowd." "This DVD represents the first retrospective of any kind, live or on record, of Jamiroquai's extraordinary career, spanning five multi platinum albums. Forget the tabloid hype - this gig showcases Jay Kay doing what he does best, doing what comes naturally - performing live." [ from the press release for this video ]

Jamiroquai, the funky acid jazz band played on June 8th, 2002 at the Arena Di Verona in Verona, Italy as part of a tour to promote their "A Funk Odyssey" album. The band play an absolutely outstanding performance. There is a special guest appearance at the show from the UK's great soul diva, Beverley Knight, who sings on 'Main Vein' and the added bonus version of 'Love Foolosophy'. It has been written that "This record can be also treated as the very best of Jay-Kay". If you're a Jamiroquai fan, you will have your own opinion on this statement. If you're not familiar with the band's music, this concert is a good starting point. Listen to Jamiroquai's "Emergency on Planet Earth" and "A Funk Odyssey" albums

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

Twenty Zero One - JK
Canned Heat - JK, Toby Smith, Derrick McKenzie, Simon Katz, Sola Akingbola, Wallis Buchanan
Bad Girls - Donna Summer
Corner Of The Earth - JK, Rob Harris
Virtual Insanity - JK, Toby Smith
Little L - JK
High Times - Wheeler, JK, Toby Smith, Zender, Derrick McKenzie
Cosmic Girl - Derrick McKenzie
Main Vein (with Beverley Knight) - JK
Deeper Underground - JK, Toby Smith
Alright - JK, Toby Smith, Rob Harris
Love Foolosophy - JK
Love Foolosophy (with Beverley Knight) - JK

N.B: The band currently consists of Jason "Jay Kay" Cheetham (vocals), Matt Johnson (keyboards), Rob Harris (guitar), Paul Turner (bass), Derrick McKenzie (drums) , Sola Akingbola (percussion), Lorraine McIntosh (backing vocals) and Hazel Fernandez (backing vocals). A detailed list of the musicians on the Verona album would be welcome

BIO

Although some choose to pass off Jamiroquai as a Stevie Wonder-clone, the band has amassed a steady stream of hits in its native U.K. and has experienced chart success in just about every other area of the world with an irresistible blend of house rhythms and '70s-era soul/funk. The band has gone though several lineup changes during their career, but through it all their leader has remained singer/songwriter Jason Kay (aka J.K.). Born on December 30, 1969, in Stretford, Manchester, Kay's mother, Karen, was a jazz singer who regularly performed at nightclubs, and in the '70s had her own TV show. After leaving home at the age of 15, Kay found himself homeless and in trouble with the law (by committing petty crimes to get by). After a near-death experience (where he was attacked and stabbed) and being arrested for a crime he did not commit, Kay decided to return home, where he chose to pursue a legitimate career over crime: music. Kay didn't have a band to back up his compositions, but he quickly came up with his future project's name, Jamiroquai, a name that combined the name of a Native American tribe (the Iroquois) along with the music-based word, jam. Kay's home demos caught the attention of the record label Acid Jazz, which issued Jamiroquai's debut single "When You Gonna Learn?" in late 1992. With Kay enlisting the help of others (Jamiroquai's best-known lineup included drummer Derrick McKenzie, keyboard player Toby Smith, bassist Stuart Zender, and vibraphonist Wallis Buchanan), the single was a success and was soon followed by a long-term and lucrative recording contract with Sony. Jamiroquai's full-length debut, Emergency on Planet Earth, followed in 1993 and became a major hit in their native England (peaking at number one on the charts), spawning such Top Ten hit singles as "Too Young to Die" and "Blow Your Mind." The band's second release, The Return of the Space Cowboy in 1995, managed to steer Jamiroquai clear of the sophomore jinx that affects so many up-and-coming bands by out-selling its predecessor in Europe and was a sizeable hit in Japan, as well. With most of the world dancing to Jamiroquai's beat, America was next in line for the band's third effort, 1996's Traveling Without Moving. The album spawned the worldwide hit "Virtual Insanity," for which an award-winning video was filmed and helped the album achieve platinum status in the States by the year's end (as well as a highlighted performance at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards). Despite achieving breakthrough success, bassist Zender opted to leave the group during sessions for its follow-up, which resulted in Kay scraping almost an entire album's worth of new tracks in order to start from scratch with a new bassist (the slot would eventually go to newcomer Nick Fyffe). During the downtime, Jamiroquai contributed a brand-new track, "Deeper Underground," to the soundtrack for the 1998 movie Godzilla. But the long wait between albums seemed to kill Jamiroquai's momentum in the U.S., where a fourth release overall, 1999's Synkronized, was largely ignored (yet back home and across the globe, it was another major commercial success). Subsequently, it appeared as though the majority of Jamiroquai's U.S. media attention focused on non-music related events, such as the band turning down a million-dollar offer to play at a concert on New Year's Eve 1999, and when Kay was accused of assaulting a tabloid photographer (with the charges later being dropped). It didn't take Jamiroquai as long the next time around to issue another album, with A Funk Odyssey hitting the racks two years later in 2001. Kay also helmed a volume in the mix-album series Late Night Tales. From there, Jamiroquai spent the next two years gathering material for a sixth studio album. Dynamite, which was finally released in 2005, was written and recorded in Spain, Italy, Costa Rica, Scotland, New York, Los Angeles and Jamiroquai's own Buckinghamshire studio. © Greg Prato © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0xfuxqqgldte~T1

Russell Gunn

Russell Gunn - Ethnomusicolgy Volume 3 - 2003 - Justin Time

Trumpeter/composer Russell Gunn continues his music lesson for the world with Ethnomusicology Volume 3 — a rich fusion of sound that's part jazz, part spoken word, part techno, part hip hop. Ethnomusicology Volume 3 is the ninth album from Gunn, twice nominated for a Grammy for the first two CDs in this series — Ethnomusicology Volume 1 and Ethnomusicology Volume 2. Gunn produced the collection and composed or collaborated on seven cuts on the latest CD. The thread running through each of the diverse cuts is the theory that most modern music can trace its roots to the African-American community. Gunn combines traditional jazz riffs with hard rock guitars, turntable artists, funk bass... sometimes all on the same track. The emotional landscape is equally diverse, celebrating old friends, hometowns and even hate crimes and discrimination. Gunn weaves together elements of Cuban, Brazilian, African, Washington, D.C.'s "Go-Go" music and hip hop into a progressive jazz style. Gunn grew up on the mean streets of East St. Louis, and his first aspiration was to be a rapper. He took up the trumpet in the fourth grade, and he's been creating a furious fusion of both music genres ever since. He first drew notice playing at New York City's famed Blue Note club and soon earned a place on the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and has been touring on his own and as part of other bands since the mid-1990s. Copyright 2010 NPR http://www.discogs.com/Russell-Gunn-Ethnomusicolgy-Volume-3/release/1735251

Maybe more commercial, and less original than other albums in this series, but good, nevertheless. If you are not into rap/hip-hop, you may not like this album, but there are other musical elements like prog.jazz, rock, and soul funk on the album, and musically there is a lot to recommend it. Check out his brilliant "Gunn Fu" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Celebrity Room Intro - Russell Gunn 0:46
2 No Separation - Russell Gunn 4:11
3 The Critic's Song - Russell Gunn 2:52
4 Variations (On A Conspiracy Theory) - Russell Gunn 6:04
5 East St. Louis - Russell Gunn 5:44
6 John Wicks - Russell Gunn 7:03
7 Yesterdays - Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach 7:31
8 Strange Fruit - Lewis Allan, Lewis Allen 4:03
9 Stranger Fruit - Russell Gunn, Jody Merriday 7:01

MUSICIANS

Russell Gunn - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Keyboards, Soloist, Electric Trump
Carl Burnett - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)
Carlos Henderson - Bass (Electric), Bass (Acoustic)
Marc Cary - Piano, Soloist
Nick Rolfe - Piano, Korg Synthesizer, Fender Rhodes, Soloist
James Hurt - Synthesizer, Soloist
Dana Murray, Rocky Bryant - Drums
Kahlil Kwame Bell - Percussion
Oliver Lake - Sax (Alto), Soloist
Kebbi Williams - Sax (Tenor), Soloist, Electric Saxophone
Antoine Drye - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Duane Eubanks - Trumpet
Vincent Chancey - French Horn
Stefon Harris - Vibraphone, Soloist
DJ Neil Armstrong - Turntables, Soloist
Montez Coleman - Voices
Kenny "Blue" Campbell, Gary Noble, Todd Britt - Performers

BIO

Trumpeter/multi-instrumentalist Russell Gunn was born and raised in Illinois; weaned on rap, he turned to jazz in his professional pursuits, although hip-hop remained a primary influence on his work. First attracting the attention of critics and audiences through his contributions to Wynton Marsalis' Blood on the Fields, Gunn also backed the likes of Jimmy Heath, Roy Hargrove, James Moody, and R&B hitmaker Maxwell, appearing on the latter's MTV Unplugged session. After a handful of independent releases, he signed to Atlantic to issue the solo Ethnomusicology, Vol. 1 in early 1999. That album was nominated for a Grammy in 2000. Smokingunn followed a year later and, in 2001, Gunn explored more of the same themes as the first volume of Ethnomusicology with Ethnomusicology, Vol. 2. Since that time, Gunn has released two more volumes in his "Ethnomusicology" series, including Ethnomusicology, Vol. 3 and Ethnomusicology, Vol. 4: Live in Atlanta. In 2007, the trumpeter paid homage to fellow St. Louis, IL, native and trumpet icon Miles Davis with Russell Gunn Plays Miles. © Jason Ankeny © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll

Praful

Praful - One Day Deep - 2001 - Therapy Recordings

"One Day Deep," is a breath of fresh air, presenting a new sound that defies categorization. CHR, Dance, Urban, Smooth Jazz and Adult Alternative radio programmers and club mixers are all poised to play Praful, the new musical phenomenon from Europe. Composed, performed and produced by Praful together with Hollands hippest producers Adani&Wolf, "One Day Deep" is sensual and hypnotic music that employs sax and flutes, down tempo jazz and chilled grooves, western dance vibes, Brazilian rhythms and even hints at Indian flavors. The album features an international all-star cast of musicians including Afra Mussawisade, Ted de Jong, Adrian Elissen, Jose Lopretti and Brazilian mystery singer Algodao Doce. www.giantstep.net

You may see this album filed under "Smooth Jazz" in your record store, and this label is misleading. Praful's music is an amazing mixture of New Age, World, Acid Jazz and downtempo dance funk. There are many albums that could be given the same description, but "One Day Deep" shows a lot of originality. In essence the music is jazz meeting electronica. A great mix of musical genres with great musicianship, especially the terrific sax work from Praful, himself. Listen to Praful's "Pyramid in Your Backyard" album

TRACKS

1 One Day Deep 5:50
2 Sonhar 6:14
3 Inspiracao 5:47
4 Let The Chips Fall 6:49
5 Teardrop Butterfly 6:34
6 Morphic Resonance 5:45
7 Underworld 7:53
8 Sigh 6:06
9 Sinus Funktion 5:49
10 Corpo Suado 8:48
11 196 Dawn 3:16

All tracks composed by Rob Gaasterland, Praful, and Daniel Testas except "Let The Chips Fall" by Clement, Gaasterland, Praful, and Testas

MUSICIANS

Vocals, Choir, Tambura [Tanpura], Electric Piano [Rhodes] Flute [Indian Bamboo], Saxophone [Sax Sweeps], Saxophone [Soprano & Tenor], Flute, Percussion [Log Drum], Electric Piano [Wurlitzer] - Praful
Acoustic Guitar - Adrian Elissen
Guitar, Organ [Hammond], Percussion [Log Drum], Electric Piano [Rhodes], Synthesizer [Moog], Bass, Synthesizer [Moog Bass] - Rob Gaasterland
Bass - José Lopretti
Trombone - David Rothschild
Congas, Timbales, Percussion [Waterdrums, Small Percussion] - Afra Mussawisade
Tabla - Ted de Jong
Effects [Dub Gear] - Daniël Testas
Choir, Voice - Algodão Doce
Choir - Amura

BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

Praful is a recent acid jazz mixture band that uses a multitude of instruments, from tenor and soprano saxophones to Indian bamboo flutes, pandeiros, Fender Rhodes and many other exotic instruments. Two of the CDs One Day Deep and Pyramid in Your Backyard have won many awards and worldwide recognition. "Sigh", included in the One Day Deep CD and as a single, had stayed in the Billboards for over 70 weeks. The songs show a wide variety of rhythm and roots. In One Day Deep, "Sonhar" is rooted from India with a rhythm of a semi-fast dance. In the same CD, "Let the Chips Fall" reveals a chill-jazz rhythm that is relaxing. Praful is also an Indian name, of a male. Praful was born on January 1, 1964 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

MORE ABOUT PRAFUL

Being personal and global, natural and urban at the same time, Praful's music explores the most diverse styles and moods: from Jazz to Dance, from India to Brazil, from deep Silence to exploding Fireworks. Praful is a gifted multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and charismatic performer from Amsterdam who, with his velvet sax sound and funky flute, is capable of both raising the roof and touching people's hearts and souls. His music is "fresh, yet traditional, inventive with sophisticated charm and appeal. It also rocks!" (a fan). Following the success of 'One Day Deep', his second album 'Pyramid in Your Backyard', was made with the same team: producers Adani & Wolf and Studio De Boot (floating somewhere in Amsterdam), and also released by Therapy Records. He did not attempt to make a 'Two Days Deep'. This new album sounds richer and warmer. The red thread is still Praful's velvet, funky and instinctive sax and flute playing as well as the compositions and unique sound of the producers trio. Danceable tunes are again combined with chill tracks, more radio friendly tunes intercepted by stretched‚out experimental parts with electronic edge. The trio kept exploring deeper and spent 5 months in the studio. PiyB turned out more up-tempo than its predecessor. Percussionist and band member Afra Mussawisade was given an important role from the beginning. Where 'One Day Deep' drifted more on drum grooves and loops, this time percussion instruments from India, Brazil, Cuba, Turkey and Africa (Morocco, Senegal) form the rhythmic foundation. It is a true melting pot: 4 singers Sandhya Sanjana, Katia Moraes, Sudha and Praful), singing in English, Portuguese and Hindi, take you on a beautiful ride around planet earth. Praful '....manages to come up with an even more consistent and versatile album, strengthened by excellent writing and a band of flawless musicians. His distinctive and luxurious 2-genre (jazz meets electronica) sound is elevated to new heights and Praful delivers a collection of songs that will astound both fans and critics.' (Monte LaRue). Praful was born on January 1st, 1964 in Dusseldorf, Germany. Starting on electronic organ at the age of 7, he switched to saxophone at age 18. He made his first serious ensemble experiences playing in the 'AKO High School BigBand' and the 'Main Squeeze BigBand' in his home town Bonn - together with the now renown trumpet player Till Br–nner. Besides being devoted to music he also passionately practiced the martial art Judo all through his childhood, attaining the 5th Kyu and fighting on national championships. Before choosing the path of the musician (or music choosing him?), he traveled around the world for close to a year, searching to broaden his horizon. In '87 he moved to Holland to study Jazz sax and flute at the Amsterdam School of Arts (Conservatory) with Ferdinand Povel, Friderike Darius and Rob Madna. Experiments with Jazz Fusion during those years led to his first band Good Move, with performances mainly in Holland and Germany. He made his degree in '92, and, confronted with burnout and personal problems, he went in search for inner peace and his own lost voice. He spent 6 months in India in the Ashram of the enlightened teacher Osho, followed by 6 months in Brazil. Back in Amsterdam in '93, full of confidence and new inspiration, he started working with in Holland operating Latin, Brazilian, African and Indian musicians and groups and artists such as Treme Terra, Nippy Noya, Saoco and Gerardo Rosales as well as with his own project 'Praful & Alchemy'. From '97 on he was drawn to newer developments in music: trip hop, dance and drum&bass. He played with the experimental dance formation 'Project 2000', which in '99 won the prestigious Dutch Heineken Cross Over Music Award. The band released an album and two singles with Universal/Polydor and opened the doors for Praful to a different audience ‚ Dance and Pop festivals. 'If the earth were a passion fruit and you could squeeze juice from it, this juice would be called Bayuba Cante' (Dunya Festival). From '97 until '02 he was working as reed player and composer with 'Bayuba Cante', an international group mixing Afro Cuban Santeria-roots with flamenco, rumba, Indian music, funk and jazz. Two albums for the German label Network and tours through Holland, Belgium, Canada, Germany and Cuba were the result of this collaboration. During those years he also started studying the Bansuri (Indian bamboo flute) with Indian Master Hariprasad Chaurasia, and he slowly integrated the instrument into his own music and returned regularly to both Brazil and India. In 'Project 2000' Praful met the stunning Senegalese singer Mola Sylla, with whom he now plays in a new world project called 'Societ-tous les couleurs' - together with guitarist Frankie Douglas and percussionist Serigne Gueye. In '04 the group has released a Live album. Over the years Praful has collaborated and performed with a number of renown Djs, such as Roog, Michel de Hey, Maestro, Lucien Foort, Olav Basoski and Bart Thimbles. Another loose project Praful is involved with currently is Jazzjuice, led by ElectroCoco producers Alain Eskinasi and DJ Graham B. At first the duo just pepped up and remodeled old Blue Note and other jazz tracks and invited guest musicians such as Praful to improvise over them, but by now the group is producing their own tracks ‚ with first singles and underground successes in London. Praful also enjoys performing as a duo with producer Maneesh de Moor - the two of them play mainly at spiritual gatherings and festivals around the world. A long partnership connects Praful with Deva Premal, a singer who recorded Praful's compositions of ancient Buddhist Mantras on her albums 'Love is Space', 'Embrace' and 'Dakshina', the latter one also being produced by Praful. Her albums have been leading the American and European New Age Charts for years. In '99 Praful had his first independent solo release, 'Touched by Love'. A simple album with soft liquid music, intended to be used for bodywork/massage sessions and to create a relaxing vibe. 3 tracks of this album were used for the independent Hollywood movie 'Cages'. The international success of his second album 'One Day Deep' made Praful a household name for Chill-, Jazz-, Dance- and Crossover-Fans. The album was conceived, composed, produced and recorded by Praful together with the producers duo Adani&Wolf, assisted by guest musicians Afra Mussawisade (percussion, Iran/Germany), Ted de Jong (tabla, Holland), Adrian Elissen (Spanish guitar, Malta), Jose Lopretti (bass, Uruguay) and Brazilian singer Lilian Vieira. Its music has been described as '...sexy like a mysteriously beautiful person walking down the street, true, untainted beauty that could never be replicated ... the freeform sound of life' (Neil Bufkin, KTXT, TX). Radio Station TheWave/LA made Praful 'Discovery Artist' of the year 2003. Released in '01 in the Benelux by the Amsterdam-based label Therapy Records, at first the word spread through release of all 11 songs on dozens of compilations worldwide. 'San Francisco has just been hit by another Earthquake ‚ and he goes by the name of Praful'. (Steve Williams from KKSF/San Francisco). In '03 the album was released in North America by Rendezvous Music/N-Coded. The first US Jazz radio single åSIGH¼ reached #1, stayed in the charts for 5 months and launched Praful and his band onto the American live scene. One Day Deep became a åbest selling Billboard album and reached Top 10 of the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart, #11 of Billboard Electronic Chart (Dance) and Top 10 of the CMJ College Chart. Such a widespread success between these different worlds was seen as a rare phenomenon. In '04 the album was released in Germany, Switzerland and Austria by Blue Flame. http://www.praful.nl/

Jamiroquai

Jamiroquai - 7 X EP CD MAXI Collection - 2002 - WorkSony

A collection of seven Jamiroquai EP's, CD singles, and maxi CD's ranging from 1996 - 2002. The compilation is comprised of 11 main tracks, remixed into 26 special remix versions. Some of these releases were issued in over 20 different versions, with incredible variations of different album covers, track remixes, sequences, etc. Some of the issues contained video tracks, none of which are included here. Sound quality varies over all these albums, and the original CD's, vinyl issues, no doubt sound a lot better. You would need to be in the money to buy Jamiroquai's amazing record catalogue. Listen to Jamiroquai's "Emergency on Planet Earth" album as a brilliant example of just how good acid jazz funk can be.

MAIN TRACKS

Cosmic Girl
Light Years
Half The Man
Canned Heat
You Give Me Something
Do It Like We Used To Do
Main Vein (Live)
Love Foolosophy
Picture Of My Live
Black Crow
Little L Blaze

TRACKS

COSMIC GIRL - 1996

1 Cosmic Girl (Album Version) 4:03
2 Cosmic Girl (Classic Mix) 9:22 Remix - David Morales
3 Cosmic Girl (Quasar Mix) 7:40 Remix - Al Stone , Derrick McKenzie , Jay Kay , Toby Smith
4 Cosmic Girl (Cosmic Dub) 6:48 Remix - David Morales
5 Cosmic Girl (Quasar Dub) 7:17 Remix - Al Stone , Derrick McKenzie , Jay Kay , Toby Smith

LIGHT YEARS - 1996

TRACKS

1 Light Years (Album Version) 5:56
2 Light Years (4 To Da Floor Mix) 5:23
3 Light Years (True Power Mix) 7:53
4 Light Years (Way Gone Mix) 7:33
5 Half The Man (Album Version) 4:46

All songs composed by Kay Smith

CANNED HEAT - 1999

TRACKS

1 Canned Heat (7" Edit) 3:46
2 Canned Heat (Radio Edit) 3:19

Written-By - Jay Kay
Written-by [Strings], Arranged By [Strings] - Jay Kay , Simon Hale

LITTLE L - 2001

TRACKS

1 Canned Heat (7" Edit) 3:46
2 Canned Heat (Radio Edit) 3:19

Written-By - Jay Kay
Written-by [Strings], Arranged By [Strings] - Jay Kay , Simon Hale

YOU GIVE ME SOMETHING - 2001

TRACKS

1 You Give Me Something (Commercial Edit)
2 You Give Me Something (Full Intention Remix)
Bass - James Winchester
Engineer [Additional] - David Snell
Remix - Full Intention
Remix [Credited To], Producer [Additional], Engineer, Performer [All Instruments] - Jon Pearn , Michael Gray
3 Do It Like We Used To Do
Mixed - Pope, The
4 Main Vein (Live)

Mixed By - Pope, The
Producer - JK , Pope, The
Programmed By - Paul Stoney
Written-By - JK , Fyffe , Harris

LOVE FOOLOSOPHY - 2002

TRACKS

1 Love Foolosophy
2 Picture Of My Live (Radio Acoustic Session)
3 Black Crow (Radio Acoustic Session)
4 Little L Blaze Remix

LOVE FOOLOSOPHY (MAXI) - 2002

TRACKS

Love Foolosophy 6.18
Love Foolosophy (Knee Deep's Re-edit) 8.27
Love Foolosophy (Twin Club Mix) 7.43

BIO (WIKI)

Jamiroquai (pronounced /dʒəˈmirəˌkwaj/) are an English jazz funk and acid jazz band. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, the Brand New Heavies, Galliano, and Corduroy. Subsequent albums have explored other musical directions such as pop, rock and electronica. Jamiroquai have sold more than 35 million albums worldwide. The band name is a portmanteau of Jam session and "iroquai", based on the Iroquois, a Native American tribe. The original band was Jay Kay (vocals), Toby Smith (keys) Stuart Zender (bass), Nick Van Gelder (drums), Wallis Buchanan (didgeridoo). These are the founding members of the Jamiroquai and were involved in the writing and production of the first albums. The lineup of the band has changed several times, and the longest serving and now core members of the band are lead singer and songwriter Jason "Jay" Kay and drummer Derrick McKenzie (1994). Despite his self-professed attempts to treat Jamiroquai as a band, Kay has always been at the forefront of how the group is marketed, and has therefore always had the lion's share of media attention, to the point where he is viewed as almost a solo artist. He was the impetus behind the formation of Jamiroquai, deciding to form the band after an unsuccessful audition to become the singer of the Brand New Heavies. Jamiroquai's first single, "When You Gonna Learn", was released in 1992 on the Acid Jazz label. Following its success, Kay signed an eight-album record deal with Sony BMG Music Entertainment. The first Sony album, Emergency on Planet Earth was released in 1993. It was followed in 1994 by The Return of the Space Cowboy. The single "Space Cowboy" gained notice on the charts and in club rotation. While Jamiroquai was growing in popularity in the UK and Western Europe, they remained relatively unknown to U.S and other international audiences. The band's international breakthrough came with the third album, Travelling Without Moving in 1996, which yielded two big hits, "Virtual Insanity" and "Cosmic Girl". The success of "Virtual Insanity" was due in part to its Jonathan Glazer-directed video, which featured Kay's dance moves and some physics-defying images. At the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, the creative music video for "Virtual Insanity" won four awards, including Best Video, Best Special Effects, Best Cinematography, and Breakthrough Video. In 2003 Jamiroquai compiled and mixed a DJ mix album for the Late Night Tales series for Azuli Records. The track selection shows some of the band's funk, soul and disco influences, including tracks from The Pointer Sisters, The Commodores, Johnny "Hammond" Smith and Johnny "Guitar" Watson. The acid jazz flavours and ethnic influences of the first three albums continued with the release of Synkronized in 1999. Jay Kay's interest in funk and disco music were shifting the band's directions towards such. By their fifth album, A Funk Odyssey (2001), they had evolved so drastically, that some critics and listeners would remark they lost the 'Jamiroquai sound'. With the departure of more and more original band members, including Wallis Buchanan and his didgeridoo, Jamiroquai had become a very different band than that of 1992. In spite of the changes, the fifth album's first single, "Little L", reached #1 in many charts worldwide. Their sixth album, titled Dynamite was released on 20 June 2005. It reached #3 on the UK charts. The first single, "Feels Just Like It Should" was released early in June, the second, "Seven Days in Sunny June" released on 15 August 2005, followed by the third, "(Don't) Give Hate A Chance" on 7 November 2005. Jamiroquai released a greatest hits collection, High Times: Singles 1992-2006 in November 2006. The release of this album marked the end of Kay’s eight-album contract with Sony. The album reached the number 1 spot in the UK album chart after its first week of release. The album featured two new tracks, "Runaway" and "Radio". On 18 September 2006, "Runaway" was given its first play by UK radio stations. It was released as a single on 30 October 2006. Kay remarked that compilation was released purely out of contractual obligation: "2006, they're out of the fucking picture." In October 2006, Jamiroquai recorded a live session for Live from Abbey Road at Abbey Road Studios. Their performance was shown alongside those of Damien Rice and the Goo Goo Dolls on the UK's Channel 4 in January 2007. In May 2006 Jamiroquai performed during the Laureus Sports Awards in Barcelona. the event was later televised by NBC in June. In March 2006, Jamiroquai announced their switch to Columbia Records. Future releases will appear under the Columbia imprint. During February in 2007 Jamiroquai performed the record breaking Gig in the Sky in association with Sony Ericsson. After leaving Sony, the band began work on their seventh project, and several collaborations and side-projects. In a very short mid-2007 interview with Jamirotalk, drummer Derrick McKenzie expressed his satisfaction with leaving Sony as the beginning of a period in which the band will have more creative control over their own work, together with plenty of room for experimentation and lack of pressure from a record company. On 11 January 2008, Jay Kay himself posted a news item in which he thanked everyone who wished him the best for his birthday, and announced that the writing process for the new album has just begun. Only a day earlier, drummer Derrick McKenzie posted an article on his MySpace weblog that the recording process for the same record has also begun. On 15 January 2008, the band confirmed that the recording process begun. According to the news item, eleven tracks have already been written for the new album, with more to come. As of now, none of the tracks' names are known. On 13 February 2008, the band announced from their website that it will perform at the World Stage of the Rock in Rio — Madrid festival, being held in Arganda del Rey, Madrid with others artists who have (then) yet to be announced. On 28 February 2008, Jamiroquai performed at the Khodynka Arena in Moscow, Russia at the launch of the new Audi A4 car. On 22 June 2008, Jamiroquai performed at the Wianki Festival in Kraków, Poland. On 4 July 2008, the band performed in front of a 75,000 people audience in the Rock in Rio Madrid festival. Tour dates were planned for July and August of 2008. On 5 April 2009, Jamiroquai performed at the closing concert of Malaysian F1 Grand Prix in Sepang International Circuit Malaysia, and on the 9th of April Jamiroquai played at the Sentul International Convention Centre in Jakarta, Indonesia. On 24 August 2009, Derrick McKenzie was interviewed on playvybz.com and talked about the upcoming album. He stated that Jamiroquai is now signed with Universal Records (UK) and that they have recorded more than 40 new tracks. Also the new album will be recorded live and have a style similar to the first three albums with the use of strings and horns. He claims the album will have less of a "disco sound" and will be a lot more funky and soulful. The album is uninfluenced by major record labels and will bring forth a new direction for the band. During the first week of February 2010, Jay Kay mentioned the upcoming album on Jamiroquai's Facebook site, saying, "Hi Everybody, just wanted to say how amazing it is to have so many Friends on Facebook, half a million I believe. Therefore it feels like the right time to let you know that we are alive and kicking and in the final stages of our 8th album. I really can't wait to get out there and play it for you live in the very near future. Sending you all lots of good luck and love, Jay." Buffalo Man is the name of the silhouette character featured on most of the covers of Jamiroquai's releases. Buffalo Man was created sometime prior to the release of their 1992 single When You Gonna Learn, allegedly it was originally sketched by the band's primary songwriter and front-man Jason Kay as Buffalo Man is seemingly a self portrait silhouette of Jason wearing a buffalo hat. The mark has been used on almost every commercial (and sometimes non-commercial) release of the band's output in some form or another; usually the unique symbol is pictured unaltered, but there have been times where it is shown in a stylised manner to suit the artwork or song. Over the years, Buffalo Man has seen some temporary changes or interesting thematic uses: "Half the Man", The Return of the Space Cowboy For the single "Half The Man", Buffalo Man is on the cover as a keyring with a heart in the clasp representing the fact it is a love song and the keyring itself is split down the middle in two halfs to represent the song title. Buffalo Man also has a silver heart. " Space Cowboy", The Return of the Space Cowboy For the single "Space Cowboy", Buffalo Man is present on the cover as a shaped cigarette paper for a half-complete cannabis joint, in reference to the song's praise of the drug. "Virtual Insanity", Travelling Without Moving For the single of "Virtual Insanity", Buffalo Man appears in the place of the Ferrari horse in an homage to Jason's love of sports cars. For the album cover to Travelling Without Moving, the artwork is similar, but takes on an embossed effect and is seen on a metal grille. "Cosmic Girl", "Everyday" For these two releases, Buffalo Man is pictured with a star over his heart and two intersecting orbital rings. Synkronized While the design remained fundamentally unaltered, Buffalo Man has been turned into a laser-cut mirror and photographed from interesting angles by Midori Tsukagoshi. On some editions, for the disc itself, no ink has been used on the character, but the same stone background found on the front cover has been used for the rest of the disc, thus allowing the consumer to recreate the photographed effect. A Funk Odyssey For this album, the Buffalo Man was notably absent from the cover; instead, the laser lights formed an outline of the Buffalo Man logo, which could be seen much more clearly in the album's liner notes. Dynamite Only the US release featured a gold Buffalo Man. Other releases saw a picture of Jay Kay instead. Just like the Buffalo Man, the Jamiroquai text logo has also had several variations depending on the theme. The oldest version of the logo is the one seen on the Acid Jazz Records release of When You Gonna Learn. In comparison to the current text logo one can see that the old Acid Jazz Records version of the logo was more angular at points, together with the letters being much thinner. Several variations of the current logo also exist. Releases of "Cosmic Girl" and the promo CD of Everyday had replaced the dots above the 'i' letters with stars. Other slight, temporary variations include a slight vertical stretch of the typeface, as seen on the cover art of A Funk Odyssey.