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| Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey To Release New Studio Album Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey return on October 11, 2005 with their brand new studio album, The Sameness of Difference, on Hyena Records. Helmed by acclaimed record producer, Joel Dorn, the 13-track collection is a living, breathing, pulsating testament to the 12 years the Tulsa / Cincinnati-based trio has spent touring and recording together. It is unquestionably the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey's piece de resistance - a post modern jazz masterwork. Exploring their influences, which stretch from cutting edge indie rock to experimental electronic music to classic pop, all the while rooted in an obsession with the modern jazz canon, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey offer interpretations of music by Bjork (”Isobel”), The Flaming Lips (”The Spark That Bled”), Charles Mingus (”Fables of Faubus”), Neil Young (”Don't Let It Bring You Down”) Brian Wilson (”Wonderful”), Dave Brubeck (”In Your Own Sweet Way”), The Beatles (”Happiness Is A Warm Gun”) and Jimi Hendrix (”Have You Ever Been To Electric Ladyland”). Their own material is also well represented, as original compositions, “Santiago, ” “The Maestro, ” “Halliburton Breakdown, ” “Slow Breath, Silent Mind” and “Davey's Purple Powerline” are etched in stone for the first time ever in the studio. “The Sameness of Difference was honestly a joy to make. We've never been so unrestricted before in the creative process, ” states bassist Reed Mathis. “All the way from conception to completion, every aspect of the project flowed. It seemed to create itself as we went along. Anybody who's ever made a record knows how rare it is to achieve that kind of flow.” The Sameness of Difference was recorded at Sear Sound in New York City. Although the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey were originally scheduled for three full days of recording, they tracked the album's entire repertoire in one marathon session. As always, it was the group's complete and utter commitment to improvisation and creating music in the moment that served as their most reliable muse. And it's in the lineage and spirit of the countless classic jazz records that were cut in a day's time that The Sameness of Difference resides. “We have about 13 records that we've made, but this is the first time I have actually witnessed a record making itself, ” declares pianist Brian Haas. “We were lucky enough to have Joel Dorn producing the session and Gene Paul engineering the session. Their old school energy balanced out our new school approach, and by the end of the first day in the studio, the record was done! Joel said he hadn't made a record like that since the last Rahsaan Roland Kirk album!” Producer Joel Dorn, whose resume includes jazz giants such as Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Charles Mingus, Keith Jarrett and Yusef Lateef, first became enamored with the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey after having seen them perform a version of the standard “Alone Together” at New York City's revered jazz room, Tonic, in 2004. At this point, the trio had already released the critically acclaimed, Walking With Giants, on HYENA. Shortly thereafter, Dorn suggested that the group consider the possibility of recording an album's worth of jazz standards. The idea clicked, but quickly grew to include choosing material from a broadly based spectrum of artists and genres with the sole stipulation being that it had to have inspired the trio's collective musical voice. “The first time I saw them it immediately struck me how high the group's level of musicianship was; their interaction was so tight and precise, ” states Joel Dorn. “They're creating music that's completely modern, but at the same time it has those very same qualities that appealed to me in the work of artists like Charles Lloyd and Keith Jarrett.” Throughout The Sameness of Difference, the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey showcase a telepathic group mind, which showcases the evolution of an ongoing musical conversation that's been developed over countless tours, but never quite captured as powerfully on their studio records before. Unlike most trios where the bass and drums comprise the rhythm section, JFJO's pianist Brian Haas and drummer Jason Smart often fill this role, while bassist Reed Mathis, regarded as one of the most visionary bass players in improvisational music, renders the lead melody. This lends a unique balance to the dichotomy of material included on The Sameness of Difference, and the group's ability to reinvent such a varied repertoire in an endless array of colors and emotions. It also hints at one possible explanation of the album's title. “This is a much more relaxed and user-friendly version of the band, ” states drummer Jason Smart. “We used to be intentionally jagged and avant-garde, but now we're able to say more with less and in the process bring a wider audience into the fold. In my mind, it's a much higher and more evolved form of expression.” The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey performed over 100 dates in 2005, including a tour as the opening act for Les Claypool, appearances at high profile festivals such as the JVC Jazz Festival, High Sierra Festival, 10, 000 Lakes Festival and the Iowa City Jazz Festival and numerous headline shows from New York City to San Francisco. They were also voted the No. 2 “Rising Electric Band” in DownBeat's 2005 Critics Poll. Before year's end, they'll make their debut in South America and Europe. And if an endless tour schedule and the recording of a brand new studio album wasn't enough, individually Brian Haas released his debut solo piano album, The Truth About Hollywood, while Reed Mathis joined the Steve Kimock Band as their full time bassist and Jason Smart toured as a member of Robert Walter's 20th Congress. With the release of The Sameness of Difference, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey are primed to begin a new and undoubtedly exciting chapter in their ever evolving odyssey. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Jazz News :: home page |