Author: Jeremiah Shea

Sounds Like a Party To Me: Lettuce Interview Jesus Coomes

Music might be business for some, but for others, it’s a way of life. Lettuce is one of those bands where music is what you do, how you do, and why you do it. It’s family and friends and everything in between. Simply put, music is life. The band hasn’t gotten where they have been in their 20+ year run from stepping on others or chasing the next hit. Throughout their journey, it’s always been about the music and its ever present bond created between them on so many levels.

This passion and love spills over on the stage, in the studio, and through all of their interactions. It’s touching to see a band deservedly grow that embodies this spirit. In just over a year, the band has headlined Red Rocks (twice), released a new album (appropriately titled Crush), played to massive crowds, and hit other career peaks along the way. As the band packs up the bus to the hit the road on yet another tour, we got a chance to catch bassist, Erick “Jesus” Coomes, before a flight out to the east coast.

NYS Music: So you’re getting ready to kick off the Sounds Like a Party Tour, which is jam-packed with dates and riding high on how well Crush has been received. How are you feeling?

Jesus: I’m so thankful – everything is great! I’m in Long Beach right now, but leaving tonight for the tour. I’m going to meet up with my best friends in the world to make some music. The first gig is in Connecticut at Toad’s Place and a bunch of our original followers are there, so we’re going to get some of that hometown love right away. I’m excited about all of this.

NYS Music: There was a mention of Nigel Hall joining you guys via the Lettuce Facebook page. Is he joining for select dates?

Jesus: He’s coming for EV-ERY-THING bro. He’s going to be crushing this whole tour!

NYS Music: That’s amazing! I saw that Nigel has recently been playing some kind of synth onstage as opposed to just coming out for the lyrical songs. Tell me more about that and if we’ll see it on the SLAP Tour.

Jesus: He’s playing a Moog and a couple of other synths; he has a whole keyboard rig now. The thing is, we were having Nigel come on tour with us and he was literally sitting in the back for a long time until he got to sing a couple of songs. We’re like, this guy plays his ASS off on keyboards. Why don’t we set him up with a sick keyboard rig so he can play the whole show with us? We’ve been doing that for a few shows now and I can’t tell you how much fun it’s been!

NYS Music: On the topic of Nigel, has the band ever thought about including more of his vocals on an upcoming release?

Jesus: We definitely have and we want to do as much as we can with him. He’ll definitely be a big part of the next album. We’ve always kept it somewhat instrumental, but at this point, we kind of want to do a whole EP or album with him singing every tune. At the same time, we really love instrumental music, including Nigel, so it’s a hard balance but we want to explore that more on this tour.

NYS Music: Selfishly, I would just suggest recording a double album with one side all instrumentals and the other with vocals.

Jesus: Ohhhhhh….that’s a great idea! I love that idea!

NYS Music: Along those same collaboration lines, Lettuce worked with Wu-Tang Clan for the 2013 Bonnaroo SuperJam [audio]. Your music certainly incorporates hip-hop into your flavor of funk. Have you guys ever thought about bringing in a hip-hop artist on an album to rap over an original tune?

Jesus: Oh yeah, definitely. There are some things in the works right now that I wish I could tell you more about. I’ve had that same thought as well. Listening to a tune like “Trillogy,” I could totally hear Ghostface or somebody like that over it. I’d love to do a whole album like that called Lettuce Raps. I’ve had that thought for a long time – 10 years or so.

NYS Music: I feel like the hip-hop, jazz, and funk scenes are thankfully all starting to blend and collaborate in beautiful ways. What are your thoughts on that topic?

Jesus: I love it and just hearing you say that makes me so happy. I love what Kamasi Washington is doing, and my friend Josef Leimberg just dropped an album on Kamasi’s label. I think I played bass on a couple of songs on that. And then there’s my homie Thundercat just crushing the bass harder than anybody and being totally acknowledged for it. It just makes me so happy. Real music is becoming important again. We have some of the best music ever hitting the mainstream – I’m geeked out about it!

NYS Music: Changing gears, I watched the live-streamed Lettuce Lockn’ set and have since listened to it again. I’ve never heard the band explore their songs like that before, taking more than half of the songs over the 10-minute mark. Are you guys going to continue to do that in pockets?

Jesus: 100% we are – just hearing your enthusiasm makes me so happy. We’re on a good path and communicating really well right now. It allows us to take a jam and extend it without sacrificing quality. We’re always coming from the heart and I’m really excited where we’re taking it. I feel like the universe is putting us into the perfect place. It’s much bigger than any of us and we’re digging in. Music is such a deep art form. I don’t know if we’ll ever get to the bottom of it, but we’re trying.

NYS Music: That’s so good to hear! In terms of new ventures, Lettuce just released a new music video that is pretty exploratory both musically and conceptually. Can you talk a little bit about the process behind it and why you went the direction you did?

Jesus: It was really incredible. The band was so excited about Crush as an album that we wanted people to hear a lot of it at once. We did the one video for “Phyllis,” but with this, we wanted to do a sneak peek of the whole album in a video format. I’m happy with the way it came out. We shot our parts and then the animators worked their butts off on the rest.

NYS Music: What are you excited about literally heading out shortly for this tour?

Jesus: The whole thing is so exciting, bro. I’m about to get on a bus with my best friends. Basically, I’m excited to see my homies and I just saw them all summer, every weekend. I’m so excited to hang out and make some smoothies. It’s like when you’re with your team, they make you better. When I’m with the guys in Lettuce, I’m a better person and I think we all make each other better. We live a healthy lifestyle and make great music every night. It’ll be nice to get back into that flow of making great music together every night and then having great days together. I’m really excited about the whole thing to be honest.

This Thursday, September 22, Lettuce will take the stage at The Tralf in Buffalo, NY. Tickets are still available for purchased. Additionally, their new album Crush can be purchased via iTunes here.

September 20, 2016
An Interview with the Gifted Kofi Burbridge

It’s not often a band picks out Buffalo, NY in their list of tour dates to set up shop for a two-night run. This weekend though, Tedeschi Trucks Band with longtime keyboardist/flutist Kofi Burbridge will be playing Saturday and Sunday (Mat 7 and 8) at The Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo.

The band released their latest album, Let Me Get By, earlier this year to strong reviews and will certainly be drawing up that and other deep cuts for an exploratory two nights in the Queen City.

While the group is fronted and named after the marital pair and supremely talented Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, the talent runs deep in the group. Kofi Burbridge and Derek’s former band the Derek Trucks Band is someone long deserving of a little limelight. We got the chance to sit down and hear about Kofi’s story and how that folds into the band’s upcoming stint.

NYS Music: What instruments do you play and what fueled your passion?

Kofi Burbridge: Flute and keyboards are primary. That’s what I make my living on, but I came up attempting to play a lot of other instruments – the bass being one of them. Oteil and I actually explored a series of instruments. We got lucky because we had a set of parents who saw that we were interested. Like any responsible pair, they made us get our work done first and then we could play. It showed them though that we were really passionate about getting into music, so they invested in lessons and things like that. We had the benefit of my dad’s extensive record collection as well. He’s not a musician per se, but an extreme connoisseur of music. We had this treasure waiting for us, not knowing it was treasure waiting for us.

NYS Music: When coming up and going to school in Atlanta, you wrote “Kam-Ma-Lay”, which later became a Derek Trucks Band song for the group’s third album, Joyful Noise, in 2002. What was it like seeing that come to life after being shelved for a while?

KB: It was a resurgence I would say. We (the band) were in a situation where we needed tunes and everyone was scrambling and bringing what they had to the table. I had been listening to Derek and the band for some time and knew Yonrico from working with him ten years prior to DtB. By the time I heard the band, they had this flavor that was really cool – lots of different genres. They obviously had the southern rock thing, but with straight ahead jazz and some Latin flavor as well. I felt “Kam-Ma-Lay” might be a good one for this particular recording. That was a big time fun tune to do and everyone got really into it. I had the sections of the tune and Derek put the melody on top.

NYS Music: You mentioned Yonrico Scott (former DtB drummer), what was it like working with him?

KB: He brings a positive force to the space every time. That was his aim and he’s always bringing joy – and I use that word specifically to describe his style. He also really likes to nail his stuff down. He is so much fun to play with and fires up the whole band. It’s like you’re going to a party when you’re playing with him and the cat’s always got pocket.

NYS Music: Todd Smallie is no slouch either right?

KB: Well, you know, he was one of the first ones I noticed in the band. I mean they were all throwing down big time, but I was like, “check this bass player out – moving that thing all over the place to these tunes.” He’s part of pioneering that whole style. He was one of the people who showed you could approach the bass the same way you could approach the guitar. It’s a fret board, you know? It really opened up the approach on bass – so yeah, when I saw Todd I told Oteil he had to see him.

NSY Music: What’s the biggest difference between what the Derek Trucks Band was doing and what Tedeschi Trucks Band is doing now?

KB: It’s hard to say. There are more people in TTB, so we’re featuring moments at a different pace. You only have so much time to say the things you want to say. Couple that with more of a song environment with Susan’s interactions and what she brings to the show and we also have the horn section which adds a completely different tonality and allows for different styles. There’s a whole lot more to bring in comparison to DtB, but I would say DtB had way more freedom in terms of moments to improv. I remember Derek throwing solos all around. There was a point I remember Derek saying, jokingly, “Hey man I’m getting tired of soloing so much.” All along the way, Derek has wanted to up his game and I think that’s what he’s trying to show now at this stage in his development. He really is a fantastic band leader and lets you play what you want to play if it’s appropriate for what he’s going for. I’ve never had this much creative freedom with any band. It’s the most I’ve been able to open up in any band situation, especially in one like this with so many people.

NYS Music: What can fans expect with the first two-night run of Tedeschi Trucks Band in Buffalo?

KB: Whenever we do get two nights, it’s a lot of fun. We get the chance to play a show, get into the city some more, and come back to another show. One of the trickiest things for a bandleader is to feature so many elements within one night. We can really stretch out over two and go deeper.

NYS Music: So tell us more about this Brothers project with your brother Oteil, and Neal and Alan Evans.

KB: Yeah, we’re really excited about that as well. Alan, Neal and Oteil were on the Jam Cruise and they must have had a ball because all of a sudden Al got the feeling and said we have to do this. Personally, I’ve been trying to figure out how to manage my time on and off the road. I had to put my foot down on myself and get busy while I’m off the road. Right after I came off this last run with TTB in Australia and Japan, I flew up to Al’s studio in Massachusetts. We had two good days and came up with four tracks. It was much needed and I’m so glad we kicked it off. I can’t wait for the finish. Hopefully there will be some shows, but I’m not sure that’s on the burners just yet.

NYS Music: What is the feel of the recording?

KB: Definitely some heavy funk to it, but like I said it’s still in the oven. I’m 100% sure it’s going to be everything that we want and a great kickoff for us. There were lots of ideas being thrown on the table and it was just fantastic.

NYS Music: Is there a release timeline yet?

KB: It’s hard for me to say. I think Al actually has a better answer for that than me since he’s handling the logistics of it.

NYS Music: What other projects do you have going on?

KB: I’m working on a personal project myself and trying to get in the studio to get something done this year and released in 2017. That’s really important to me right now. It’s another bigger project on my burner right now and will cover flute and keys. It will probably be more of a writing project, but hard to say since I’m still putting a lot of the pieces together. It will definitely include a lot of people that I currently work with.

NYS Music: Ending on a topical note, what are your thoughts on Prince’s passing and how did his music and the recent events impact you?

KB: He was definitely a part of my generation. He was 57 and I’m 54, so it definitely touches home on just a basic human level. There have been so many people at this age passing, not just musicians but friends as well. It’s kind of a major wake-up call at the moment since it was so unexpected. It’s a very scary thing.

When I went to his show just a few years back, it was the first time I had ever seen him. I had been waiting to hear all of my favorites like “Little Red Corvette” and some other older ones. I had no idea what I was about to see since Prince had gone through so many incarnations and bands. I mean, the man had so much music. I thought it was probably going to be everything, and it was truly all of that. It was an excellent show. He came out sparkling; I mean the dude was way past ten! He loved the fact that he was performing. That was the biggest thing that I got out of the show. He was happy to be on stage and to be performing the music. It really fired him up. It fired up the entire audience and everyone was into it. What really blew my mind, and was the major icing on the cake, was that he remained there after the show and continued to play on the piano! You could just hang if you wanted. I’m like, this man has storage. He has terabytes of music. It was amazing! It’s serious love.

May 4, 2016
Hearing Aide: Snarky Puppy ‘Culcha Vulcha’

Eight years ago, there weren’t many people who knew Snarky Puppy. Heck, the pups were in their infant stages only forming four years prior. That was the last time the band hit the studio though in the traditional sense. Fast forward to today and the band is leading a very real revival of jazz music, gathering fans along the way with recent albums performed and recorded live. After the band’s first Grammy win in 2014 with Lalah Hathaway for Best R&B Performance from Family Dinner – Volume 1, the group followed it up in 2015 with a Grammy for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album with Sylva, collaborating with the Dutch Metropole Orchestra. Both wins showcased the group’s formula of recording an album live with an audience, limiting retakes and capturing raw emotion.

That was then, this (only one year later) is now. The band has decided to throw their recent formula for success out the window and head into the studio for something one can only expect to be a tightly controlled exploration of freedom and expression. The verdict is in and the new album doesn’t disappoint. On April 29, 2016, Snarky Puppy will release Culcha Vulcha, their eleventh album and first traditional studio album in eight years. Recorded at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, the band set their eyes within their home state, just 600 or so miles from where they formed at the University of North Texas in Denton.

Snarky Puppy is much like the ’92 Dream Team, all supremely talented individuals in their own right. And just like basketball, there’s not enough room within the bounds of a song for each to showcase those deep skills. Lucky for fans, this nine-track release strikes the perfect balance of calling the right player to shine on each track. Their understanding of timbre placement in both the forefront and background is vital in a group layered this deep and the band has always chosen wisely.

The album is blown wide open right from the start of the first track, “Tarova”, which features a sleazy riff, oozing with confidence, swagger, and a dark, cool demeanor. The opening piece features the most amount of members on any one track (17), giving you their all right up front. The rhythmically syncopated backbeat provides the protagonist to the song’s melodic antagonistic color. Michael League’s bass seems to mediate between the two, but throughout all of the interplay, the song’s identity aggressively shines.

As previous recordings have shown, Snarky Puppy has this way of bringing in worldly rhythm and feel to new audiences through their funk-laced, rhythmic jazz. As they say it’s, “music for the brain and booty”. While this influence ebbs and flows, “Semente” and “Palermo” are great examples of the worldly influence being more upfront, drawing a parallel to previous torch-carriers like The Derek Trucks Band.

The album progresses down many paths, taking on different feels yet always remaining true to the band’s unique sound. It’s the ability to draw with pencil, oil paint, acrylic, or chalk yet still have something that screams your name. Even with a mixed roster on each song, you hear this truth through the evolution. “Beep Box” is a great example of their maturation, featuring a tonally rich, almost J. Dilla, hip hop-esque feel. It’s certainly new ground, but again, inherently Snarky Puppy through and through. The slow moving, futuristic piece strips them down to their forward-moving vision. Chris Bullock’s flute work on this is delicately divine amidst the underlying pulse of the beat.

As with any other Snarky Puppy recording, it’s not about the individual tracks as it is the body of work and this is beautiful, dark, different, exploratory, and as layered as they’ve ever been. You can tell the band focused less on showing their talents and put that effort into pushing some new boundaries. What they’ve created with Culcha Vulcha is the next evolution of a dog whose getting even more bite.

Key Tracks: Tarova, Beep Box, Palermo

Culcha Vulcha will be available on April 29, 2016. You can pre-order the digital version on iTunes, the CD version on Amazon, or the CD and vinyl options through their website (vinyl ships in June).

April 17, 2016
Snapcase Announces Show in Buffalo to Celebrate 25 Years

For those who grew up within hardcore, punk and related circles throughout the ’90s, it’s time to dive head-first into nostalgia once again. This week, Snapcase announced a 25-year-anniversary show in their hometown of Buffalo. The preeminent hardcore punk masters are back just like that and their social media has been spun into a worldwide frenzy.

With posting nothing more than a link to buy tickets, Snapcase made the announcement on Tuesday, Jan. 19, and the hype took off from there. In less than 24 hours, the post has been liked more than 1,000 times, shared more than 200 times, and is nearing 100 comments. Not bad for a band who is technically retired. For anyone that follows the band, though, their ’04-05 breakup wasn’t the end, with reunion shows happening here and there, most recently last summer in Philadelphia at the 10th annual This Is Hardcore Festival.

While the band never really blew up in the same way some of their peers did, their influence carries a wide breadth and they’re even mentioned by the likes of bands as big as the Deftones. If you were lucky enough to catch them in their heyday, you would understand why their name and music got around. Snapcase relentlessly toured with bands from all different styles of music and never shied away from jumping on a bill or tour with a band doing something different from their own sound. They inspired punks, hardcore kids, and even some metal fans who couldn’t ignore their crushing melodic riffs, inspiring lyrics, and raucous live shows.

The announced reunion takes place at Buffalo’s Town Ballroom and will be held on Friday, Feb. 26. Judging by the social media hype that already surrounds this one-off appearance, there will be fans from near and far as road trips are already being discussed. Tickets go on sale at noon Friday, Jan. 22. The show will feature two other great hardcore acts of yesteryear in Louisville, Kentucky’s Endpoint and Burlington, Ontario’s Grade as openers. Don’t wait to get your tickets, as there is never a promise of another return and this will most certainly sell out!

Here’s their full set from last summer’s This Is Hardcore Festival:

January 20, 2016