New interview in State of Mind
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“When Jacob Fred stops evolving‚ that’s when I’ll stop doing it‚” pianist and composer Brian Haas of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey says with as much conviction‚ intensity and humanness as the music he plays. It seems like this band wouldn’t exist if there wasn’t continuous motion and evolution. As surprising and sad it was to hear that bassist and founding member Reed Mathis was leaving the band earlier this year‚ in retrospect‚ it all makes sense. This band lives and breathes vibrant growth. And if it ain’t happening‚ then it ain’t happening.
Reed’s parting shot comes with Winterwood‚ an album that JFJO is giving away as a free download‚ and it brilliantly displays the new sonic experimentations of the band. The atmosphere is modern‚ hip and forward-thinking‚ but still holds the tried and true tradition of jazz. And in that sense‚ it might be where the band’s sound has advanced the most–understanding each other’s space and knowing how to let a killer melody breathe. Listen to the way the band moves and how Haas’ fingers work magic on the Grateful Dead’s “Crazy Fingers” to see what I’m talking about.
With Chris Comb on lap steel and Matt Hayes on upright bass joining Haas and drummer Josh Raymer‚ Jacob Fred is launching full speed ahead into the next chapter. There’s urgency in their music‚ there’s excitement in Haas’s voice‚ and there’s magic happening onstage. Things are moving quickly‚ too. Since my conversation with Haas‚ the band finished their first leg of a successful run of shows‚ offered up the tools to do your own remix of their song “Tetherball Triumph” [see STS9 doing it live during a P.A. set]‚ had guitarist Bill Frisell sit in for some tasty improvisation during their show in Seattle‚ and now Haas is giving away a new album, Petting Sounds‚ an improvised symphony for solo piano that was recorded in one continuous session‚ away as a free download.
Click Here to read the interview!
Tags: brian haas, Burlington, interview, jacob fred, JFJO, piano, state of mind, vermond