(EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is the third entry in the Sun-Gazette's Uptown Music Collective series. Deron Johnson is a UMC?student.)
It was day seven of the 2010 Rochester International Jazz Festival and I was going to see the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey. The band's festival blurb said it recently performed jazz interpretations of Beethoven's Third and Sixth symphonies.
When I sat down - inches from the stage - I saw a floor littered with effects pedals and a lap steel guitar. It was safe to say that I had no idea what to expect. What I got was one of the most energetic and interesting shows of the whole festival. I went back for the band's second set later that night and between the two sets, I got to hear all the tunes from its latest release, "Stay Gold."
The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is a four-piece band hailing from Tulsa, Okla. The band is Brian Haas on piano; Josh Raymer on drums; Jeff Harshbarger on double bass; and Chris Combs on lap steel guitar.
Haas looks like a mad scientist and plays his instrument much the same way. He uses the whole of his instrument from flurries of notes in the highest register to low, floor-shaking rumbles, all the while urging the band on with yells of pure excitement and joy.
Raymer's drumming captivated me from the opening snare hit to the last cymbal crash. The grooves he created with bassist Harshbarger were so tight that I was sure there was some sort of devilry involved.
Rounding out the group, Combs adds a very distinct melodic voice to the band. With an army of delay and reverb pedals, he deploys simple melodies that soar above the band and leave you humming the tunes after the first hearing.
The album "Stay Gold" opens with "The Sensation of Seeing Light," an aptly named tune that instantly typifies the Jacob Fred sound: a driving groove between drums and bass with a plaintive melody from Combs' lap steel. This initial offering also demonstrates the band's great songwriting. Its ability to develop a melody over time and through different sections is one of the things that makes the band's music so interesting.
The next tune on the album is about jumping on a trampoline with your friends. "Trampoline Phoenix" captures this feeling perfectly and showcases the drumming of Josh Raymer throughout.
"David" begins as a calm and simple tune, with subdued drumming and only the piano on the melody. The tune eventually warps into a frenzy with swirling lap steel and Haas pounding away at the piano like a madman, all held together by the unyielding groove between the bass and drums.
"The Return" is one of the standout tracks on the album for me. With an addicting piano and bass riff, and the use of a melodica by Haas, the band once again showcases its ability to develop a melody as well as their complete dynamic control.
Following "Song for Lauren," a tune by drummer Raymer, "Hamby's Window" is a song that stood out during the live show. After stretching out with some solos, the band came together to accelerate faster and faster until it couldn't speed up anymore, ending the frenzy with a sharp cut, which was followed by an instantaneous uproar of approval from the crowd.
The title track, "Stay Gold," has one of the most devastating grooves ever created by man. If you only look into one tune from the album, make it this one. This band's sense of dynamics is one of most striking aspects of their music, and it shows on this tune.
Unfortunately, I don't think this comes across as well on the recording as it did live. During the shows, the band rose and fell together like a finely tuned machine, doing so with the energy of a child on Christmas morning.
The final cut on the album, "This, Our Home," can't follow "Stay Gold." It's comparable to watching American Youth Soccer after the World Cup. However, this is one of my only gripes with the album - and its a small one. This album delivers on every level and I think this music is such that everyone can enjoy.
With a sound heavily influenced by jazz, rock, classical music and hip-hop (a song called "Drethoven" was born from the band's equal love of Dr. Dre and Beethoven), the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey has created a very diverse and enjoyable album. Stay gold, everyone.
