New York hornsman Lee Hamilton recruited sensational artists to create the group The Super 20. The curation of this group is marked by the January 7 release of their debut single ‘The Good Life.’ Their debut album, Winds of Wareika, is scheduled to come out in the spring on Color Red.
The group consists of performers that have worked along side artists like Chicago Jazz Underground, Debo Band and Jeff Parker. While still having their own sound, inspiration is pulled from greats such as Rico Rodriguez, Tommy McCook and Quantic. Hamilton personally cites literature as another source of inspiration, with Paulo Coelho’s book “The Alchemist.”
The album is a collaborative effort between Hamilton and renowned producer and engineer, Craig Welsch at Rear Window Studio in Boston. Welsch is cited as a “crucial piece of the puzzle” when it came down to exactly how the ideas of this single would come to fruition.
The two started collaborating in the early days of John Brown’s Body with Hamilton forming the horn section and Welsh serving as the band’s sound engineer. The two share a common idea of what “feels good” about creating music.
The Good Life’s sound is something that tries to transcend genres. The track’s ideas of optimism and positivity towards the future blend perfectly with the reggae and afrobeat inspiration, as the horns keep you captivated.
Hamilton’s saxophone provides a strong base for the entire song and it’s easy to see just how well his curation of this group worked out.
