The Summer Solstice of Sol Horizon

Since their eponymous CD release in 2004, Sebastopol's Sol Horizon has blossomed, becoming one of the most popular and forward thinking bands of it's genre. The release of their latest CD, "First Light" and recent tours of California and Hawaii, as well as collaborations with England's rising reggae star, Pato Banton, should erase any doubt as to their authenticity and musical sincerity. Led by vocalist Michael Litwin, and his "party revolution" group, Sol Horizon are ably driven by lead guitarist Clayton Hunt, percussionist Peter van Gorder, and rounded out with bassist Frank Preuss, drummer Colin Menzies, rhythm guitarist Alexei Brown and keyboardist Jeremy Cooper. Sol Horizon continues to write and perform only their original music, a feat very few reggae groups would even attempt. No Bob Marley covers, no Peter Tosh, no Steel Pulse, no Melody Makers, just Sol Horizon! Their "conscious lyrics" and continued involvement in the sustainable living community by promoting global awareness and environmental issues, makes Sol Horizon a unique blend of fantastic music and planetary activism.

Sol Horizon continues to promote that movement, a movement borne of the "conscious struggle" of us all to save the planet, and in their case, via their music. Sol Horizon's green philosophy is clearly embodied in both Litwin's lyrics and Sol Horizon's music. Litwin's passionate and energetic singing, helps to convey that message, add the incendiary Hunt's guitar work, van Gorder and Menzie's grooves, and the textures of Brown, Preuss and Cooper providing the beautiful world sound-scapes, you begin to get an idea of what Sol Horizon is all about.

Their song "System", has the all the classic reggae flavor one comes to expect from a Sol Horizon song, and Hunt's guitar work is both subtle and supportive. Percussionist van Gorder's intro on "Ill Suffering", and his work with drummer Menzies on the "Naturalist" continue their infectious grooves and syncopated stops and to starts to great effect. "Hemp Revolution" has an almost Grateful Dead meets Bob Marley feel to it, I had to open my eyes at one point to see where I was. "Easy Road" is one of the best tunes in this effort. Hunt's guitar and Litwin's voice are well matched here, and I couldn't help think of Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" when I first heard it.

Pato Banton's influence on Sol Horizon has been both positive and mutually beneficial. In Sol Horizon, Banton has found a superb backing group in the U.S., and a supportive voice in teaming with Litwin. For Sol Horizon, access to an even wider audience, more credibility, and a maturing sound that keeps getting better are just the thing this group from Sebastopol needed. Just as jazz is no longer the sole province of the Americans, (having given way to many of their European counterparts), so too has reggae become an international musical movement. In the United States, reggae festivals in places as diverse as Burlington, Vermont and Northern California can boast some of the biggest crowds and greatest reggae stars. Montreal's "Festival du Afrique" is one of the best in the Hemisphere, and England as well as France's Caribbean influences continue to flourish. Sol Horizon's upcoming show at Santa Rosa's 28th Annual Harmony Festival, (June 9th-11th), promises to be another memorable performance.

There is no telling how far Sol Horizon can go, more collaborations with Banton, a vigorous Summer and Spring tour, festivals and plans for European shows, keep the group energized and focused on spreading their positive message of community building, planetary empowerment and love. Yeah Mon!

Sol Horizon, "Party Revolution"

Saturday, June 3rd @ Ukiah Brewery 102 S. State St Ukiah, CA
Thursday, June 8th @ Metro's Music in the Other Park,
St. James Park N 1st St & W St James St San Jose, CA
Sunday, June 11th @ 27th Annual Harmony Festival, Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa, CA

The Bay Area Brazilian Beats of Brazuca Brown

My love of Brazilian music is no secret to those who know me, for years I performed with guitarist Carlos Augustus and his DC ArtBeat ensembles. In my youth, I would often journey to see such great artists like Dom Um Romeo, of Weather Report, Egberto Gismonti, Milton Naciamento, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Paulhino de Costa, and of course my favorites; the incredible Flora Purim and Airto Moriera, whose incendiary tamborine solos conjured images of Panamanian drummer Billy Cobham at his height.

In what could have been a catastrophe at the Rasselas Jazz Club last Sunday night for the Wilbur Rehmann Quartet show, (It seems the owner inadvertantly double booked the evening!), the gracious Caroline Chung of Brazuca Brown, stepped aside and wished us good luck. So moved was I by the group's generosity, that I endeavored to find out more about her and her band. Rehmann's show I might add, was a smashing success, and in the aftermath of that evening, I found another pleasant surprise in the wonderful and innovative Brazilian music of Brazuca Brown and it's offspring, the Brazuca Dub Quartet.

Considered the "Bay Area's most innovative Brazilian band", Brazuca Brown fuses traditional music with modern technology. The group came together in 2004, when they began combining percussion and complex Brazilian rhythms with the "post-tropicalia" musings of today's DJ culture. The result is a groove oriented "samba-electric" flavor, powered by the high energy drumming of the "bateria", the drum ensemble that powers the samba schools during Carnival.

Brazuca Brown is ably led by bassist Caroline Chung, Cris and Nick on drums and percussion, and the wonderful Antonio on vocals and guitar. Often Brazuca Brown can seen as an "orchestra", with Danny Cao on trumpet, Carlinhos Baiano and Sam Hicks, also on percussion, or in a smaller unit known as the "Brazuca Dub Quartet". Brazuca Brown has been a regular fixture at the Elbo Room, and has been seen at Bruno's, The Cigar Bar, The Make Out Room, Cafe Du Nord, and the Independent.

Their polyrhythmic textures on songs like, "Onde Anda" and "Avaio" stopped me in my tracks. The take no prisoners funk of "Descobrido dos Mares" and "No Caminho Do Bem", will make you want to get up dance, without a doubt. Antoino's vocals and guitar work is fantastic, and must bee seen to be fully appreciated. Chung holds down groove like nobody's business on bass, and the guys on percussion are just well, "disgustingly talented".

So if you are in the mood for some fiery samba, funky bass, ridicolously infectous percussion, don't wait for Carnival to see Brazuca Brown, in any of their incarnations. You will be glad you did.

Brazuca Brown
Sat. May 20th @
Club Anton
428 3rd Street
Oakland, CA
510-463-0165
http://www.clubanton.com/

Tues. May 23rd @
The Elbo Room
647 Valencia Street
San Francsico, CA
http://www.elbo.com/

The Wilbur Rehmann Quartet "Special Edition" Comes to Rasselas

Fans of the legendary saxophonist Sonny Rollins and British jazz drummer Bill Bruford, should enjoy the sounds of the Wilbur Rehmann Quartet: Special Edition, performing Sunday, May 14th at the Rasselas Jazz Club on Fillmore. An accomplished alto, tenor and soprano saxophonist, Wilbur Rehmann is considered one of the "elder statesmen of jazz" in his native Montana, and for his debut SF performance, he will be joined by pianist, composer Peter Fox, bassist Mike Shea, and E. "Doc" Smith, on "acoustic, electronic, and chordal drums". Fresh from his tour of Italy, Rehmann and his "Special Edition" quartet will be performing some of the music made famous by Rollins, John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Antonio Carlos Jobim, as well as Bruford's Earthworks. A frequent visitor to the Bay Area, Rehmann's debut has been a long time coming, and will hopefully be the first of many, many more.

Rehmann, grew up in Burlington, Iowa listening to the last of the traveling big bands in the late forties and early fifties. As a teenager, he got interested in bebop and wanted to know not only why they played like that, but how. Now he knows, and he plays it on the alto, soprano and tenor saxophones. In 1954 he began playing the saxophone in public school and started his first group, "The Reformers Combo," in high school. An admirer of many great saxophone players from Charlie Parker to Stan Getz, he has been particularly inspired by the mentoring and music of Sonny Rollins. Rehmann's trademark sound is uniquely his own, and watching and listening to him play is a joy. His regular quartet in Montana, featuring legendary guitarist Blackie Nelson, his son, the "disgustingly talented" Ken Nelson on bass and keyboards, and the remarkable Dennis Unsworth on drums, have delighted "Big Sky" audiences for years.

The group's two albums, Back Home Jazz (1996), and Mann Gulch Suite, (1999) have an underlying message unique to jazz, (or any other genre to be fair); protecting the environment. Rehmann's concern for a clean and healthful environment, and his desire for everyone to be made aware of the effects of pollution and global warming, are clearly a motivating, if not inspiration force in his music, and a passion shared by many of Rehmann's friends and colleagues, including the legendary saxophonist Sonny Rollins. Rehmann's delightful cover of Horace Silver's "Nica's Dream", is another fine example of his spacious, airy sound of "Big Sky" jazz, free to roam and soar, swoop and swing. "Rehmann and his Quartet," wrote Mike Clark of the Great Yellowstone Coalition, "have brought to us a sense of joy, wonder and solitude with their original jazz interpretations, which explore the interior landscapes of the American West and the meaning of wilderness". Rehmann's "Going Down the Gulch" is but one of many fine examples of that style, and embodies a true "Big Sky Jazz" sound.

The "Special Edition" Quartet

Pianist Peter Fox is an award winning composer and performer with music in his blood. (His great-uncle, Joe Young, was a prolific Tin Pan Alley songwriter). Fox began piano study at age 7. Growing up in Texas, he was deeply influenced by the state's rich musical culture of blues, country, swing, and jazz. As a musician, Fox is at home in any context from solo piano to concert band. He has played and arranged for rock, folk, soul and funk bands and led his own jazz quartet. As a composer, he has written scores for films, television and theatre, including music for the Emmy award-winning show "The Amazing Race" for CBS. As a songwriter, he has written songs for and with many artists, including Bird York, who was a 2006 Oscar nominee for best song. As a producer and arranger, Peter has worked on album projects for many critically acclaimed artists (like Rachel Yamagata and Tom Freund).

His CD, "Americana Motel", was one of the "Top 10 Releases of 2001" according to the Wall Street Journal. He is the creator of Eco-Rock, an animated musical series for kids that is currently in development. Current and recently completed projects include scoring the independent film "Red is the Color Of", scoring a documentary for the Inter-American Development Bank, writing songs for Cordless Records artist Aya Peard, writing and producing a CD with Finnish actress and singer Irina Bjorklund, and doing the score for "Knight to F4", a new comedy by the Burnett brothers.

Bassist Mike Shea, is also an accomplished musician on both electric and acoustic basses. His unique talents have been much sought after in the world of both jazz and Hip-Hop, where he continues to perform and tour with groups such as the Subterraneanz, Nyambezi, and the popular East Bay group, Triple Ave.

E. "Doc" Smith has performed and recorded with a wide array of artists in both jazz, rock and world music, including Howard Levy, Paul McCandless, Ron Holloway, Paul Bollenback, Brian Eno, Bon Lozago, Ed Howard, Gladys Knight, John Mayall, Jimmy Cliff, Bill Bruford's Earthworks, Paul Wertico, Jack DeJohnette, and many more. His work with Brian Eno and the group the Same, featuring now famed composer Carter Burwell, and Stephen Bray, led him to join Bray and his platinum selling work with the pop singer Madonna. Smith worked with Bray and Madonna for several years, and on many of her greatest albums, including Desperately Seeking Susan, True Blue, Who's that Girl?, Express Yourself, and Pre-Madonna-The New York Years.

Smith's twenty plus years of percussion work, also led to the creation of his one-of-a-kind and critically acclaimed instrument, the "Drummstick". His tours with the group Between the Lines, allowed him to open for acts as diverse as the Neville Brothers, 10,000 Maniacs, and The Violent Femmes. His invention has also led to performances with some truly great musicians from around the globe, including the Indian phenom, Sandip Burman, and perfecting his technique with Roy "Futureman" Wooten, of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. For the Wilbur Rehmann Quartet, he has returned to his first love, the drum kit. "When Rehmann and I played last January, I was using the Drummstick, my guitar-like instrument, however for this performance, I've decided to use a hybrid drum kit, with an acoustic-electronic, symmetrical set-up, not unlike one used by my mentor, drummer Bill Bruford."

After some gentle prodding from the great SF saxophonist Charles Unger, and many spirited discussions with Rehmann over the years, Smith soon hit upon the idea of a performance, and the Special Edition was born. "This is a real treat for me personally, to play with an all-time great like Rehmann, and I hope for everyone who comes to Rasselas to see it."

The Wilbur Rehmann Quartet: Special Edition
Rasselas Jazz Club, 1534 Fillmore
Sunday, May 14th from 8:00 pm - 12:00 am
(Call 415-346-8696 for more info)

Bill Bruford's Earthworks, Recorded Live at Yoshi's

"Random Acts of Happiness"

Those unfamiliar with one of England's greatest drummers, may yet recognize his impressive work with some of the most successful progressive rock groups of the 1970's and 1980's: Yes, King Crimson, and Genesis to name but a few. However, by the 1990's, Bruford had eshewed that genre to play what was his first love: Jazz. In 1986 he formed the critically acclaimed "Earthworks", an ensemble featuring acoustic bass, keyboards, saxaphone, and Bruford on a 12 piece electronic drum kit, capable of playing complex chords as well as percussion samples. After over ten years of successful touring around the world, and a few line-up changes later, the Bay Area found his latest incarnation in a rare west coast appearance at Yoshi's last year, resulting in his latest recording, "Random Acts of Happiness".

Rare indeed, as Bruford told me that "flying his group to the west coast of the U.S. can be a rather costly endeavour". Switching now to an all acoustic drum kit, Bruford's current Earthworks band, now features the inimitable Tim Garland, (formerly of Chick Corea's band and replacing Patrick Clahar), on assorted reeds and flute, clearly excels at the riskier environment of the concert stage. Even more adventurous than his last recording, "Footloose and Fancy Free, Live in NYC", "Random Acts of Happiness" benefits from an even better recorded sound, and a repertoire that shows the group still growing, interestingly enough as much by looking back as it does by looking forward.

Garland has taken over the lion's share of new compositions, and his penchant for extended composition which has worked so well in his other endeavors, most notably Acoustic Triangle and his Storms/Nocturnes Trio, works to advantage here as well. "White Knuckle Wedding," with its long-and-winding melody, also features Garland on flute, which adds another texture to the ensemble. Also, while Earthworks remains an essentially acoustic ensemble, Garland is not afraid to dabble with electronics, using a pitch-shifter to create a somewhat oriental flavour towards the end of the piece; he also pitch-shifts his saxophone on "Speaking With Wooden Tongues," which may be the most remarkable new piece in the Earthworks songbook, shifting from light counterpoint to intense improvisation.

"Tramontana," co-written with the recently departed pianist Steve Hamilton, as well as "Bajo Del Sol," with their Latin-leanings, demonstrate some of the influence that Chick Corea had on Garland while a member of Corea's group, Origin. But in the hands of polyrhythmist Bruford, the pieces become something more as well. In fact, one of the most attractive things about this group is how they create shifts in feel, always keeping things interesting. Bruford's mathematical precision on pieces like "Modern Folk," coupled with his looser approach on "Bajo Del Sol," shows an artist who, considering his already-established stature continues to look for new inspiration and further develop his sound and approach.

In addition to revisiting previous Earthworks pieces for the balance of this recording, Bruford has also chosen to look back at his twenty-five year-old repertoire, and select earlier pieces for reinvention. "My Heart Declares A Holiday," which comes from the first Earthworks album, a revived "Seems Like a Lifetime Ago (part 1)" and "One of a Kind (Parts 1 and 2)," which come from his more fusion-oriented period of the late-1970s, prove that strong material is strong material, regardless of the context in which it is placed. It is interesting, in fact, how things that were, at the time, considered to be signature, like Allan Holdsworth's guitar or Bruford's chordal drums, become completely irrelevant in these new arrangements as the ensemble both pays reverence to the source and takes the material to new places.

Personally, I've always been partial to Bruford's original Earthworks line-up of punk-jazz British musicians Ian Ballamy, Django Bates, Mick Hutton and later Tim Harries. Ironically, I can recall saying the same thing about his late '70's group with Dave Stewart, Jeff Berlin, Allan Holdsworth, and again later, the "unknown" John Clarke! Bruford's keen syncopation, and his constant forward thinking, (he was the first great electronic drummer), help to make "Random Acts of Happiness" another fine album in his ever growing catalogue of modern jazz recordings.