Dynamite duo Dan Baraszu and David Ellington have teamed up for an explosive eponymous debut album. With live wire Marlon Patton on drums, this band is raising eyebrows in the Atlanta area. Hammond B-3 superstar Dave Ellington moved to Atlanta, GA in 2005 after 22 years in New Orleans playing and recording with dozens of acts including Walter "Wolfman" Washington and the late gospel and blues great Marva Wright. While in New Orleans he studied with Ellis Marsalis and created Chevere, an afro-Cuban jazz project. Their release entitled, "Baila Mi Ritmo" was chosen by Times Picayune music critic Keith Spera as one of the 'Top 20 recordings' of 2001. Since Hurricane Katrina, Ellington has spent time in Atlanta gigging with numerous jazz, blues and soul outfits while working on the Organ Trio. Rising jazz guitar dynamo Dan Baraszu had been burning up the Atlanta jazz scene since graduation from Berklee College of Music and The University of Miami. While versed in many styles, Baraszu found his love for jazz at a young age when he discovered Wes Montgomery. Since arriving in Atlanta, he has freelanced for the top jazz players in town and once Ellington arrived, they just seemed to find each other. ”B3 Organ and guitar have always been such a great combination. Something about the sustain of the organ and the percussiveness attack of the guitar are very complimentary. I have always wanted to play with a cat like Dave that knows the tradition but also strives to push the music forward into new realms”, says Baraszu. Since connecting, the dynamic duo have combined in numerous configurations but none felt as satisfying as the Organ Trio. “I love what happens when we play together (in the organ trio format); the sound, the vibe, the songs - everything!” informs Ellington. Hailing from Atlanta, Marlon Patton has literally played drums his entire life. He studied music at The University of Georgia and has vast experience in genres as diverse as modern and straight ahead jazz, rock, hip hop, Latin, salsa and afro-Cuban. He records and performs year-round all over the world and boast performance credits with John Patitucci, Rufus Reid, Wycliffe Gordon, Mike Wofford and Sade. The album opens with "Road Rage" and displays magical interplay between guitar and organ. The conversation is colorful and the guitar solo embraces Baraszu's inner George Benson. When Ellington fires up on his B-3, hints of Joey DeFrancesco and Jimmy Smith are exposed while New Orleans echoes throughout. When the funky Doodah Man rolls out, Marlon Patton's groove sets the tone for delightful interaction that is accessible and radio ready. The compilation closes with a smokin' interpretation of the 1962 Quincy Jones classic, Soul Bossa Nova. The intertwined guitar and B-3 forces a smile at the familiar melody while eliciting awe at the fresh delivery. "Dan Baraszu & David Ellington Organ Trio" is a rollercoaster of jazz, funk and soul that will please a diverse listening audience and leave the listener anxious for more. This is a trio to watch in 2014 and beyond. Friendship, Hope, Joy, Inspiration, Desire, Peace and Strength are just some of the words that can describe the latest Blue Canoe Records release from Grammy Award winner Yonrico Scott. Mr. Scott takes the listener on a funk rock journey through the blues and delivers them with the feel of a gospel revival. On "Be In My World", Scott plays the role of percussionist, vocalist and co-producer while getting some help from old friends. Yonrico Scott is an American Grammy Award-winning drummer and percussionist. He was a longtime member of The Derek Trucks Band and is currently the drummer for recent sensation Royal Southern Brotherhood featuring Devon Allman, and Cyril Neville. In 2010, Scott accepted the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album for The Derek Trucks Band for their 2009 album, "Already Free". Mr. Scott has played with industry big-names such as Stevie Wonder, Warren Haynes, Whitney Houston, Peabo Bryson, John Denver, and The Allman Brothers to name a few. With the Derek Trucks Band, he served as percussionist and contributing songwriter for 17 years. On "Be In My World", Yonrico hits the listener right between the eyes with opener and instant funk rock classic "Confused". As on many of the tracks, Scott gets an assist from keyboard/flute sensation Kofi Burbridge and producer Oliver W. Wells. With an instantly memorable groove, the listener begins a journey into the blues led by foundation members of the jamband circuit. "Confused" is the perfect way to begin this journey. Derek Trucks makes an appearance on power ballad "Hear Me Now" featuring the bluesy interplay between Trucks and Mace Hibbard on tenor sax. This soulful arrangement brings out classic Trucks and the Southern blues rock that made him famous. Mr. Scott brings the listener full circle on the final, title track "Be In My World". The invitation to "Be In My World" is an irresistible and sultry way to wrap up this dynamic effort. Featuring over 30 musician's, Yonrico Scott's world is a familiar yet fresh place and is destined to be a celebrated place to stay. To Africa With Love (Remix). Featuring: Rat Bastardz - remix artist/production Buzz Amato - keys/production DJ Kidd Star - loops/production Rick Hinkle - keys, composer Joseph Patrick Moore - keys, composer Tyrone Jackson - keys, pads, strings Wayne Viar - percussion Brian Carl - guitar Seth Condrey - vocals, composer Composer, producer and performer Joseph Patrick Moore weaves tribal rhythms into funk, pop and jazz melodies on his eighth solo release, "To Africa With Love". Mr. Moore connects with some old friends and new ones in this dedication to the Land of the Sahara. The work itself contains 13 songs that range in genre from Contemporary Jazz to Funk to Rock to Contemporary. Moore and company utilize funky blues man Charlie Wood to spark a contemporary version of the Meters classic "Fire on the Bayou" that requires the listener to get out of their seat and move. The opening track wastes no time showing off Mr. Moore's unmatched talent on the bass as the opening bass riff socks the listener between the eyes. It's off to the races as the blistering take on the Meters' standard blends rock and urban rhythms while never losing touch with that classic southern funky feel. The title track, "To Africa With Love" is a touching, current love song to a continent that has experienced so much injustice and tragedy. Featuring Dove award winner Seth Condrey on vocals, this touching remembrance is equally at home in Adult Contemporary or Contemporary Christian radio. When queried about the motivation for the song, Mr. Moore says, "...Music has the power to uplift, connect, heal and create universal harmony for the human race. As God's vessel, each of us are on a spiritual journey to develop and embrace the gifts He has given to us...and share them for and with our fellow man". "Stained Glass Aura" is another standout adventure. Bold contemporary jazz bass and forceful urban rock rhythms weave in and out of the sweetest of pop melodies. Moore's masterful production and arrangement on this piece really showcase his wizardry on both the fretless and fretted bass in ways that awe and inspire the imagination. "To Africa With Love" is an inspirational devotional to the people of Africa. It is a vibrant explorations into the genres and textures that inform contemporary composer, producer and performer Joseph Patrick Moore. Catch Moore's inspiring work in the upcoming tour with Earl Klugh and Bob James or at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Festival in Chicago with Earl Klugh. This exclusive Emusic.com two CD set, recorded live at the prestigious Berlin Jazz Festival showcases the true depth and artistry of Punk Jazz Trio Megaphone Man.
Bryan Lopes Trio's debut CD for Blue Canoe Records, "Bryan Lopes Trio Volume 1", is a high energy expedition crossing from jazz to R&B to funk and back again. This trio also displays the talent of award-winning drummer Jeff Sipe (Jonas Hellborg, Leftover Salmon, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, featured in Modern Drummer August 2008) and multi-instrumentalist Neil Fountain on bass (The Fiji Mariners, Jimmy Herring, Megaphone Man). Atlanta first-call session man Bryan Lopes works with numerous incarnations of experimental jazz jam bands as well as some of the greats of jazz, pop, rock and R&B music including Chick Corea, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Natalie Cole, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Stone Temple Pilots and Don Henley among others. "Bryan Lopes is one of the most stylistically aggressive saxophonists living in the Southeast", says Jazziz writer James Rozzi. Lopes and crew lead listeners on a prismatic journey from jazz to funk to turbulent improvisation on this offering. "Bouncy Pants" opens the release displaying the complex interaction between Sipe and Fountain as Lopes use of complex harmony suggestive of Michael Brecker. By the third and fourth tracks, "Happy Evil" and "Landau" the crew show their bop-chops with swinging rhythmic interaction and fantastic improvisatory stretches for which Lopes is famous. The album concludes with a funk jam of generous interplay and constantly changing tempos in "Terrelism" and the sultry "Two Pavilion Way" that conjures images of the lonely sax-man on a foggy, deserted street at 3am. The first Blue Canoe Records release of the Bryan Lopes Trio does not disappoint. "Bryan Lopes Trio Volume 1" offers an adventurous journey into the modern jazz exploits of three of the most promising modern music-men of today. Punk jazz improvisational trio Megaphone Man, pride themselves on a loose avant-garde approach in creating their unique blend of jazz music. Hailing from Athens Georgia USA, Megaphone Man consists of Neal Fountain on bass, Jeff Reilly on drums and Bryan Lopes on tenor saxophone. With carefully crafted thematic notes and rhythms, this young group of virtuosos demand as much from themselves as they do the overall group interplay of their contributing melodic ideas. Megaphone Man's debut CD recording "Live At The Tabernacle", is such an experience. Recorded live at The Tabernacle Concert Hall in Atlanta, GA USA, Megaphone Man's performance captures their forty-five minute opening set with headliner and James Brown sideman, Maceo Parker. Instrumental songs such as "Razor Egg Hunt", "Reoccurring Nightmare", "Fat Gambling Liar", "Miles of Rust" and "Bubble Hat" not only demonstrate clever and witty song titles, they musically transform these titles into a work of art. Megaphone Man is not timid in taking chances with their improvisational skills, which should be evident by the fact their debut CD is a live recording and not a conceived studio recording. "Megaphone Man has a style all their own," states Jazziz writer James Rozzi. "The manner in which these accomplished musicians approach a particular tune will drastically change from one performance to the next. In an effort to maintain their own interests, they create an abundance of spontaneous, razor-sharp musical maneuvers for their audience. One concert with these guys is like a lesson in improvisational wit and daring." With Megaphone Man's turn-on-a-dime approach, one particular song will metamorphose numerous times--harmonically and rhythmically--before coming to a close. The end result is an exciting foray with enough depth to please an audience of hard-core jazz fans--or the more laid back patrons of the jam band circuit. Describing the music of Megaphone Man is difficult. Although all members shy away from calling themselves a jazz trio, their music contains full elements of jazz--and then some. "We all have wide varieties of music in our backgrounds," states Fountain, "so I think it best not to call ourselves a 'jazz band' per se." Whether it's hard-bop, funk, free-form, R&B, R&R, country…you name it and Megaphone Man has it in the mix somewhere. As Lopes (whose inspirations include Coltrane and Joe Lovano) is quick to inform, "Hey, if I want to quote Led Zeppelin, I'm going to quote Led Zeppelin!" In 2001, Atlanta based culture rag and weekly newspaper 'The Creative Loafing', named Megaphone Man the "Best Jazz Band" in the Atlanta metro area. One only has to listen to "Live At The Tabernacle" to see why the Creative Loafing title holds true. The trio of bassist Neal Fountain, saxophonist Bryan Lopes, and drummer Jeff Reilly is genuinely articulate, highly artistic, intellectually stimulating, and perhaps best of all, full of surprises. If this debut CD recording is any indication into the future of Megaphone Man, many exciting performances and musical journeys await. |
Categories
All
|