Classic rock, all jazzed-up, LIVE
Nutty, the L.A.-based octet known for intricately-arranged collages of rock and jazz classics, is releasing their third CD. This is their first live album, showcasing ten tracks that cover a range of musical quotes from 24 different rock and jazz artists. The album cover is by renowned retro artist, SHAG.
Propelled by a strong crowdfunding–$12,600 was raised via Indiegogo–the album is presented as a single performance, including on-stage intros and banter by frontman Sonny Moon to a receptive crowd. Bandleaders Moon and Guy Wonder state, “Our goal was to show off the power and precision of the band with that spontaneity that a studio recording just can’t get across. We think we’ve done that.”
Throughout the crowdfunding campaign, Moon and Wonder maintained their ongoing mission to “make jazz fun again” and to deviate from modern jazz’s tendency to cerebrality and alienation of mainstream music listeners. As Moon claimed in a recent interview (www.ultraswank.net/interview/live-purple-pit-interview-nutty), “Jazz is not dead. It just needs to lighten up. And swing hard.”
In addition to Sonny Moon on vocals and Guy Wonder on bass, the group consists of Dan Spector on piano, Edmund Velasco on tenor sax, Mike Reznick on baritone sax and flute, Brian Beukelman on trumpet, Abe Lagrimas, Jr. on drums and Pete Korpela on percussion. Rock songs by Steppenwolf, Cheap Trick, Emerson Lake and Palmer, ZZ Top, Heart, Sweet, Yes, KISS and Santana are co-mingled with jazz from John Coltrane, Arlen and Mercer, Herbie Hancock, the Adderley Bros., Oscar Pettiford, Ramsey Lewis and Dizzy Gillespie, not necessarily in that order.
The album will be available via Nutty’s website (www.nuttyjazz.com) and CD Baby, with downloads available through iTunes and Amazon.com. They play in support of the release at Herb Alpert’s Vibrato on July 12.
