On June 26th, 2010 Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey closed out their Stay Gold album release tour by playing live at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. we’re happy to be sharing some of this wonderful evening with you. Thanks to Clinton Vadnais (cleantones@gmail.com) for his recording and engineering.
Stay Gold is now available through digital retailers, as CD, and double vinyl from Kinnara Records.
Purchase Stay Gold here: http://bit.ly/cLB0sL
Words by: Dennis Cook | Images by: Rachel D. Hoefling
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey :: 06.12.10 :: OK Mozart Festival :: Bartlesville, OK
Messing with Beethoven is serious business. Foundational artists like Ludwig Van test one’s mettle and force them to grabble with fundamental structures and attitudes, particularly if one wants to put their own stamp on such a codified composer. Few are better suited to the task than Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, who took their joyously avant sensibilities right into the heart of traditionally snooty classical music by overhauling Beethoven’s 3rd & 6th Symphonies using arrangements by Noam Faingold and JFJO. A longtime coming, Ludwig had its world premiere as part of the OK Mozart Festival in Bartlesville, Oklahoma with the 50-piece Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra melding with the forward leaning jazz quartet in an experience that proved as playful, unpredictable and gently exciting as one might hope.
Brian Haas (piano), Josh Raymer (drums), Chris Combs (lap steel) and new addition bassist Jeff Harshberger looked as squeaky clean as I’d ever seen them, excited in their crisp suits and itching to jump into the fruition of a journey that began years ago. Haas has been struggling to adapt Beethoven for ages, and after a false start in Brooklyn earlier this year they found their ideal creative foils in Faingold and Bartlesville Symphony music director Lauren Green, who both grokked how JFJO isn’t like the other children, even when they are playing with a very known quantity like Beethoven. In a pre-concert discussion, Faingold said he realized some time ago that “a classical symphony with acoustic instruments could be way bigger than a metal band.” It’s this kind of outside-the-box perspective that makes him such a good fit for this particular band; though he admitted he was “initially paralyzed by [JFJO's] approach, which really pushed everyone’s boundaries.”
This last point is vitally important with Ludwig because if classical works aren’t doomed to be artifacts laboriously recreated the boundaries must be pushed. We aren’t reading by whale blubber lanterns anymore, and kings don’t decide what’s appropriate music and what isn’t. We are wireless citizens of the world with whole record collections in our pocket. As such, antiquated modes of interpretation come off as particularly dusty, like the French in Vietnam in the ’60s desperately clinging to their privileged colonial existence before the populist uprising. If Beethoven isn’t going to be a relic studied and admired under glass he needs wild creatures like JFJO to dig their nails into his hide and pull out the meat underneath…..
‘Ludwig’ jazzes up Beethoven classics
By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer
Published: 6/14/2010 2:20 AM
One thing is certain: A great deal of time and an incredible amount of effort went into the creation of “Ludwig,” which had its world premiere Saturday to open the 2010 OK Mozart International Festival in Bartlesville.
One other thing is certain: All that time and effort more than paid off.
“Ludwig,” conceived by the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, arranged by Noam Faingold and performed by the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra, is one incredible, exhilarating piece of work, a unique melding of classical and jazz music to create something remarkable and new.
Thankfully, Saturday’s performance at the Bartlesville Community Center was captured on audio and video — we counted about 10 cameras, stationary and mobile, on and around the stage — which means there is hope of a life hereafter for “Ludwig.”
In simplest terms, “Ludwig” is this: two Beethoven symphonies — the No. 3, “Eroica,” and the No. 6, “Pastoral” — that have been arranged to accommodate the quartet of piano, lap steel guitar, upright bass and drums that is the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey.
Simple, but inadequate. “Ludwig” is a complete reimagination of these symphonies. It is not a jazz combo being placed, as it were, on top of a classical symphony, or a back-and-forthing of musical phrases in the form of a concerto with the soloist being a jazz band.
What makes “Ludwig” work is that the jazz and classical entities are completely and organically integrated — something achieved by more or less deconstructing Beethoven’s music and rebuilding it according to the detailed plan established by the score but building it with some different materials.
The Beethoven symphonies are there in “Ludwig,” their musical structure intact, familiar melodies all in place. And yet, they sounded startling and new.
Read more from this Tulsa World article by clicking here.
Checkout this great video preview piece from ExploreTulsa about the world premier of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey’s ‘Ludwig’ at the 26th annual OK Mozart Festival on Saturday, June 12th.
Tickets are still available at http://www.okmozart.com
Posted 1 month, 3 weeks ago at 11:16 pm. 1 comment
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is now using Kickstarter to help raise money to create a DVD of the premier of Ludwig, their Beethoven reinterpreted project. Click here to get more information and help support this project.
On June 12th, 2010 the band will debut the ‘Ludwig’ project in full orchestral form live at the 26th annual OK Mozart festival with a full 50 piece symphony, with plans to fully record that evening for release. The band plans to extensively recorded the entire performance for full CD & DVD release on JFJO’s own Tulsa-based record label Kinnara Records. The label is partnered with Sony subsidiary MRI/RED for exclusive North American distribution.
JFJO’s goal in all of this is to be able to show to the rest of the world the sort of innovative and progressive culture that pervades the part of the country they live in. To do this properly JFJO plans to hire a full video production team to create a DVD recording of the premier using at least 5 HD cameras, a camera crane, full 48 track 5.1 digital surround sound audio recording, etc.
JFJO is excited and honored to be able to be in a position to spread this Oklahoma based concept around the country and world, and would like to invite you to join them in this exciting endeavor. Due to the enormity of the production it will take to properly document the event, JFJO is currently seeking sponsorship of the official DVD release.
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey returns to Tulsa for New Year’s Eve at Cain’s Ballroom. This year the band will be celebrating the new year by playing the music of Beyonce, Madonna, and Lady GaGa! Special guests and opening act to be announced soon.
JFJO has just released the title track off of their 20th album Stay Gold, set for release on June 22nd from Kinnara Records as both CD & double 12″ Vinyl. Take a listen:
Recently JFJO has been having some great rehearsals here in Tulsa with Jeff Harshbarger. If you weren’t lucky enough to catch him live at one of the band’s Record Store Day performances click here, here, and here to watch video of the new evolution of JFJO.
Posted 2 months, 2 weeks ago at 9:40 am. Add a comment
JFJO’s last remix contest went so well the band is compelled to hand over some more music for all of you geniuses out there. This time JFJO would like you to work your magic on their latest single, “The Sensation of Seeing Light”, which was released April 17th as a 7″ vinyl single with a B-side remix from friend Dylan Golden.
Download the six ’stem’ tracks that make up Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey’s ‘The Sensation of Seeing Light,’ and get started on creating your own remix. Enter your email below and we’ll send you the ’stems’ so you can get started. Then get creative and do your thing, chop it up, EQ it and add some effects, a new beat, whatever you want. We’ll also include the original song as well as the Doldrums b-side remix to help get your creative juices flowing.
When you’re all done email your creation in WAV, AIFF, or FLAC format to remix@jfjo.com. We’ll upload all remixes to the player on this page for all to hear. You have until Flag Day (that’s June14th) to submit your mix. JFJO will then vote on their favorite remix.
The winning mix will be featured on jfjo.com, twitter, myspace, facebook, etc. The creator of the mix will receive 2 autographed copies of ‘The Sensation of Seeing Light’ 7″ vinyl single, 2 autographed copies of the ‘Stay Gold’ double 12″ vinyl, an autographed copy of the Stay Gold CD, a new JFJO tshirt, tickets to the next JFJO show in their city, and lots of other goodies
2nd prize wins an autographed copy of the ‘The Sensation of Seeing Light’ 7″ vinyl single and an autographed copies of the ‘Stay Gold’ double 12″ vinyl plus a few surprises.
Special gifts to all of those who take the time to create something!
Enter your email and start remixing ‘The Sensation of Seeing Light” now.
Posted 2 months, 2 weeks ago at 9:34 am. Add a comment
The American quartet JFJO is both relaxed and precise.
Tulsa, Oklahoma. An old oil metropolis in the middle of the North American continent. Singer / songwriter JJ Cale comes from there and also manages the local tradition, which combines country and folk with Dixieland and blues. So-called “western swing” dates back to the 20s but then live yet. Even with a modern jazz band Tulsa Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey reflects today that from the beginning rustic but surely just as dance-friendly cousin of the big band era in Kansas City.
JFJO, which shortens the band its name, consists of four men who play piano, drums, bass and lap steel guitar. The last instrument is of course closely associated with Americans in the style of Ry Cooder and the great JJ Cale - but hardly with jazz. Bill Frisell is the exception now are joined by JFJO. On Fasching play the most original material but also applies its special sound of Thelonious Monk and Louis Armstrong. It goes just fine, for the band’s popular image and sound manner hides not only the link to “western swing”, but also a jazz musicianship class.
JFJO calls its updated synthesis of old and new for “Red Dirt Jazz”. It holds groove, improvisation, waving to Frisell and Wayne Shorter, and even rock and parallels to the groups Tortoise. John Herndon, who plays drums in Tortoise, this has its counterpart in Josh Raymer. They have in common is at once relaxed and precise. The so-obvious feeling for the music’s dynamic and stylistic details. Something truly American, the best, musical sense.
Listen to Four in One, off of the new JFJO EP ‘One Day in Brooklyn’ which is now available everywhere on Kinnara Records.
What people are saying about the new JFJO quartet & EP:
“…the group has matured into one of the finest and most exciting jazz groups around.” -Billboard
“One Day In Brooklyn, the group’s new EP, documents a two-pronged shift: toward countrified timbres and post-bop exposition.” -New York Times
“Born in Tulsa and raised up on the road, this adventurous piano trio plus lap steel guitar get alternately scrappy and pastoral on their new EP, One Day in Brooklyn.” -Village Voice
“On ‘One Day in Brooklyn…you’ll hear how creative and adventurous Tulsans, lap steel and all, are redirecting the future of jazz “ -Kansas City Star
“They do Monk (a gorgeous “Four in One”), Abdullah Ibrahim, Roland Kirk (a crazier “Black & Crazy Blues” that weaves and darts and cooks), and some Beatles. Their own “Country Girl” is just lovely, a little off the track, languid here, hurried there….Recommended.” -LA Weekly
“There’s a rustic foundation to the band now, thanks to the acoustic plunking of Mr. Hayes and the swoony embellishments of Mr. Combs…the current group pursues an earthy vigor. On Kirk’s “Laugh for Rory,” Mr. Combs reached for the uplift of a gospel revival; on Mr. Ibrahim’s “Imam” he struck a prayerful vocal timbre. Mr. Hayes was a less assertive presence, but he locked in well with Mr. Raymer, a smartly physical drummer. Mr. Haas steered from the piano, making use of an emphatic attack, a rococo sense of flourish and the trustworthy power of crescendo.” -New York Times
“The Tulsa, Okla., combo is as ambitious as ever, playing improvisation-laced music that’s equally heady and earthy, a feast for the ears and fuel for the feet.” -SF Chronicle
JFJO hits the mark with a tribute to the late producer Joel Dorn on the Rahsaan Roland Kirk medley “A Laugh for Rory / Black & Crazy Blues,” a reading of The Beatles “Julia,” a stab at Thelonious Monk’s “Four in One,” and a pair of originals - including a clever mashup of Dr.Dre and Beethoven. JFJO ain’t dead, just reborn” -Relix Magazine
“…sonically fascinating take on “Four in One,” not unlike the streamlined approach you might expect from Bill Frisell. Rating:9/10″ -Jazz.com
“The long notes of Combs’ sliding lap steel guitar mix with the emotion that Haas can draw from the deepest corners of his piano, while likely the best rhythm section the Fred has ever unleashed in Raymer and Hayes give a text-book jazz lesson in keeping the parading jam on this universe.” -Honest Tune
“JFJO distill the best of 1970s jazz-rock: up-tempo bashing drums, a little bit of funk, and crafty licks…” -The Stranger
“The Tulsa, OK-based Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey further cements its status as one of the most forward-thinking units in jazz with its new EP, One Day in Brooklyn.” -Popmatters
Posted 7 months, 4 weeks ago at 9:01 am. 2 comments
