* freeradicals abnormal horn jazz * Free Radicals – OUTSIDE THE COMFORT ZONE: The promoter who sent this in can always be counted on to get music to us that is “different”, and certainly not in any normal person’s comfort zone, ha! ha! This is pre-release (it won’t go hot until around mid-September, at which time I’ll come back & add sample links in), and the group’s energy fits right in here. A whole host of players (Pete Sullivan: bari sax; Jason Jackson: alto sax; Aaron Varnell: tenor sax; Tom VandenBoom: trombone; Matt Serice: trumpet & keys; Nick Cooper: drums & perc.; Al Bear: guitar; Jacob Breier: bass; Nick Gonzalez: sousaphone) who have been making controversial music together for over 20 years… as I listen to the 3:04 “Screaming”, I’ve fallen in love with their raucous style in only 4 bars… their music isn’t just “on the edge”, it’s fallen off the cliff!
They also demonstrate real skill for switching up styles… I loved the percussion backing on “Dadaab”… a real sense of community is aurally evident on this grand sonic excursion as well… absolute FUN. Even the really short songs, like “Cheeto News Coma”, are chock-full of energy – you’ll be hitting the “replay” button on this one more than a few times. Since samples for this album aren’t available yet, I want to make sure you actually get to see why their energy is SO attractive to my ears – watch & listen:
Of the twenty-three captivating songs offered up on the new album, it was easy to declare “Angola 3” as my personal favorite… they combine their high-energy horns with funky rhythms to really “say what they mean”. This band definitely deserves the attention of your ears… I give them a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) rating of 4.97. Get a bit more information at the Republic of Jazz blog page for the album. Rotcod Zzaj
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