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| The Wood Brothers and Sol Perform in Richmond Virginia On Friday March 12 two extremely high quality bands perform at the Capital Ale House a premier venue in Richmond Virginia: The Wood Brothers and Sol & Funk Root. The Wood Brothers, an established group in the jam band scene, features bassist Chris Wood from Medeski Martin and Wood along with his brother Oliver Wood on guitar. Sol & Funk Root features the guitarist and vocalist Sol, a rising star who has toured around the world with roots and blues legends and is now concentrating on touring with his own groups. The Wood Brothers music has a down home feel that blends blues, folk, and rock music in a guitar and bass duo. Oliver has soaked up the roots of blues, the soul of the south, and found he had a talent for writing and singing songs. His Atlanta bases blues band, King Johnson toured mostly in the southern states. Chris has lived in New York and played everything from free jazz to rock and roll. New York is where Chris met his band mates to form Medeski Martin & Wood. Now The Wood Brothers have begun a collaboration that combines their shared childhood influences with everything they've learned since leaving home. Their folk and acoustic blues tunes, tinged with gospel hopefulness and country melancholy, were welcomed like old friends by both fans and pundits. National Public Radio named their debut disc "Ways Not To Lose" one of their top ten discoveries that year. The brothers' new album, "Loaded" produced by John Medeski, was released on Blue Note Records, April 2008. Sol & Funk Root have been creating a buzz on the east coast with their blend of rock, funk, soul, and blues. Sol's guitar playing can stretch from fiery rock to laid-back jazz, and from funky innovative grooves to soulful ballads, always drawing on a deep background in blues. For the Richmond show, Sol & Funk Root perform a stripped down acoustic set of their original songs to compliment the Wood Brothers. Sol began his musical experiences performing with Carolina blues luminaries such as Guitar Gabriel, John Dee Holeman, and Cool John Ferguson. Branching out from the blues, Sol found underground success with his independent CD release "Freedom" which features musicians who have worked with Corey Harris, Jah Works, Hobex, Ana Popovic, and the Squirrel Nut Zippers. With these special guests, the album moves from greasy delta grooves to deep reggae, and from stanky funk to soulful R&B. Sol has shared the stage with music heavyweights such as Taj Mahal, BB King, Robert Randolph, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Soulive, Derek Trucks, and others. Sol has also performed with members of jam band favorites such as Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Dynamite Brothers, and Carolina Chocolate Drops. Sol has frequently toured a part of Music Maker Revue. Music Maker is a non profit organization that helps support the pioneers of roots, blues, and r&b music. write your comments about the article :: © 2010 Jazz News :: home page |