May 2008

This article originally appeared on the DailyIllini.com.

After their stellar Friday performance, I was able to talk to a few members of the Chicago Afrobeat Project, and find out a little more about how the band came about. I spoke with guitarist David Glines, keyboardist Kevin Ford and baritone saxophone player Garrick Smith.

Eric: How did the band arrive at an Afrobeat sound coming from Chicago?

David: I would say we all came to Chicago first, and everybody in the band fell in love with Afrobeat independently. The first time I heard Fela (Kuti) changed my whole perception of music, and I knew instantly that’s what I wanted to play. I had come from a rock background, and for me it was a lot of the elements of rock and funk and jazz all mixed together. The drummer and I had played in a group together prior to this one, and when that group ended, we said we would do our own version of Afrobeat, which is why we have “project” in it, to show it’s not just straight Afrobeat. We do have our own twist in the music.

When we did that, we found Kevin, the keyboard player, and the original bass player at the time was one of Fela’s old bass players. We had the four of us and then we brought in a horn player and that guy brought in a couple people. The next thing you know, we had 7 solid members and we have had a lot of people coming in and out. I think some of the players in the band were turned on to Afrobeat as a result of this band, so they heard us and joined the band and listened to all of Fela records and the late 60s/early 70’s Nigerian Lagos scene.

Garrick: Chicago’s got a diverse amount of people. If you get up north, there is a very big African community; there are a lot of Ethiopians, a lot of diversity there that you may not realize. It’s an amalgamation of a bunch of the stuff there, the stuff we were starting to check out. I was into a lot of Brazilian stuff, and a couple friends of mine turned me on to African music, and Afrobeat was the natural thing, so we started mixing it with Chicago house music and stuff like that. There’s a lot going down there, but it’s a good city, with a lot of people to play for and a large amount of African people there.

I had been into more Brazilian and salsa and Latino stuff, and a cat was telling me to check this stuff out, and I listened to Fela. I wish I could say I have been into it since I was a kid, but I got into it a little bit before I joined the band.

Eric: How hard is it to go from Latin or salsa to Afrobeat?

Garrick: There’s a lot of stuff that goes between them. A lot of those rhythms made around, but they changed slightly. So it’s different, but African music that has a swing but not the way we think jazz has it. It reverses it a bit, and takes a little while to wrap around it, because it’s not your native music, so to speak. It’s all about feel.

Eric: How hard is it to get noticed in Chicago with your style?

David: I would say that not being known for Afrobeat in Chicago has given us a greater chance of getting known. People would see the name and want to check out the group. Even though there’s not a big Afrobeat scene in Chicago to begin, we’re kind of hoping we started something and bring attention to the genre.

Garrick: It’s kind of here or there. If you can make people dance in Chicago, you’re all good. That’s the big thing, people like to dance in Chicago, it was the birthplace of house music, and people like to get out and make it happen. The most skepticism we have gotten is admittedly white journalists that get on our case about playing African music. They ask why we are doing it. We’ve had people insinuate that we are not allowed to. We have a pretty big African fan base in Chicago and as we travel we meet other Africans that dig what the band does. If somebody that came from there digs what we do, that’s more important than if five hipsters dig it or not.

Eric: Do you guys enjoy playing festivals?

Kevin: People tend to be fully submerged in the music scene when they are at a festival. They’re not just out at a bar, or working the next day. It’s a little more intense than your typical shows

Mike: Playing outside is a blast anywhere, and with the fact that everyone is here to see music and hang out is nice. You’re not competing with the TVs in the bar. It’s also a great chance to see other bands we hear about. We can talk to people, and see friends of ours we don’t normally see because we are on the road.

Garrick: Hanging with all the different musicians, and getting to talk with everybody. We’re all on the road, so we like these things where we get to relax and hang for a couple days.

Eric: Do you guys play with loose song structures or very orchestrated?

David: It’s orchestrated. The room for improvisation is in the soloists, and the energy of one song from night to night can have different energy to it, and based upon tempo, but the arrangements are not something we stray from.

Garrick: It’s oddly enough a bit of both. Because the group is so big, there has to be some moments where it’s very set. Then there are other times where we leave it very open-ended and loose. We try to add new tunes and change our set up to keep it interesting. With a big group it has to be slightly orchestrated, but we know each other well enough that onstage there is a level of openness.

Eric: What have you been listening to lately?

David: Vieux Farka Toure is my favorite African artist right now. He’s from Mali and the son of Ali Farka Toure.

Kevin: There are bands that have an Afrobeat influence to them like Budos Band, who we played a show with in New York not too long ago. There’s a band called Poets of Rhythm out of Germany that kind of has an Afrobeat influence to them. Some of the other soul-jazz stuff like Sugarman 3 too. Others like that too, stuff that runs the gamut. A lot of it has that 70’s vibe to it.

Mike: I think all of us like that vibe, with the late 60’s/early 70’s music. That’s my favorite Fela period, that and his really late stuff.

Garrick: I still get into a lot of Brazilian stuff. Seyu, Suba, Zuko 103. Also, anything by Fela. I’ve been listening to a lot of 80’s Fela. He had a bigger band and more money at that point, but well after Tony Allen had left the band. Budos Band out of Brooklyn, they are one of my favorite groups right now. Also, anything on that Daptones label. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Sugarman 3, all that kind of stuff.

This article originally appeared in The Riverfront Times.

Studious, meticulous, reconstructive genre projects aren’t normally well-springs of funk, but most projects don’t have unkillable juju driving them forward. With horns, guitars, keys and a convoy of percussion, the Chicago Afrobeat Project draws together as many as eleven young jazz cats (not counting the dancers) to cut loose the polyrhythmic improvisations pioneered by Fela Ransome Kuti and King Sunny Ade. But as certifiable “heads,” they also lean towards the genius skronk of the Art Ensemble of Chicago and electric Miles Davis. And as urban stylists they can follow an MCs flow as well as a mathematical guitar solo into the deepest, most danceable jungles — and emerge with their politics and hipster cool intact.

This article originally appeared on JamBase.com.

Summer Camp 2008 set the bar for all other summer festivals, and set it pretty high. This year festival organizers pulled out all the stops. They pieced together an impressive slew of genre-spanning bands that filled the weekend with enough musical highlights to fulfill an average music fans entire summer. It was also a prime example of how the fest has evolved from its humble beginnings into a monster event. All three days were jam-packed with a variety of quality music, and here are just some of the many highlights.

Late Night Thursday

The late night action featured sets from three of the scene’s up-and-comers: U-Melt, Family Groove Company and Future Rock. Notable moments came via a nasty funk/disco jam from U-Melt towards the end of their set; a solid front-to-back set from the Chicago-based FGC that showcased the rapping style of bassist-vocalist Janis Wallin; and a wild late night dance-off from Future Rock.

Friday

The early morning downpour couldn’t dampen the spirits of the thirsty music fans. sub-ID, the Nashville by way of Chicago trio, laid down their blend of funky electronic dance grooves to the receptive masses on the Sunshine Stage. Their use of sampled sequences with live bass and drums provided a burst of energy, and also allowed the kids a chance to shake their bones after an unseasonably chilly night. Drifting toward the Starshine Stage (the new stage for 2008) shortly after sub-ID’s set, theChicago Afrobeat Project were in the midst of a bouncy rhythmic centered groove. It was hard to stand still during their short set especially since it was so brisk and blustery.

After milling around the grounds, past the Trojan Tent and Guitar Hero setup, I rotated between sets from The Lee Boys, Future Rock and The Avett Brothers, and then ventured towards the main stage for Sound Tribe Sector 9’s afternoon set. It was sporadically funky and even brought out the first taste of sun, but couldn’t compete with what was going on at the Sunshine Stage, where Girl Talk was warming up.

Fully immersed in the late afternoon sun, I rushed past the throngs of curious onlookers and found myself backstage debating on whether or not I should join the all ready rabid dance party surrounding Girl Talk (a.k.a. Greg Gillis). Prior to the crazy mash-up of Metallica’s “One” and Two Live Crew’s “Ass and Tities” (which featured a cameo appearance by Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips), I joined the party. The momentum and energy onstage was infectious and exhilarating. It was clearly a personal highlight of my weekend (maybe my life), and was topped off by the set’s closer, a rare take on Nirvana’s “Scentless Apprentice” that featured Gillis singing the entire song.

Following Girl Talk the night excelled at a ferocious pace, and thanks to The Flaming Lips I was able to check off another of my short term goals: be a part of their wild stage show. With the confetti cannons booming, a giant LED screen covering the back of the stage, and more onstage dancers than Girl Talk, the Lips rocked! Spirited versions of “Radical,” “W.A.N.D.,” a massive sing-along of “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1” and the classic “She Don’t Use Jelly” all stood out. If there was one downside it was the momentum slowing between song rants from Coyne, which carried weight but seemed too preachy. At the conclusion of the Lips, I ventured down to the Main Stage just in time to catch the encore of Umphrey’s McGee’s set, a brilliant and nearly perfect version of Pink Floyd’s “Shine on You Crazy Diamond.”

The late night entertainment on Friday was provided by Ha Ha the Moose, which featured three masked men – unofficially moe.’s Chuck Garvey (guitar) and Rob Derhak (bass) with an unknown drummer. Surrounded by inflatable penises and a tripped-out backdrop, hidden behind horned masks, the trio opened with AC/DC’s “Big Balls.” They blasted through several heavy Primus-like jams in their set before welcoming out some of Central Illinois’ finest strippers, who provided a wild peep show for the late night campers! After Ha Ha the Moose finished, Tea Leaf Green rocked ’til the wee hours. New bassist Reed Mathis was dead-on, and his interaction with guitarist Josh Clark was quite impressive.

Saturday

Starting my day at the Camping Stage, I caught the tail end of St. Louis-based funk/soul centered Madahoochi. The soft, luscious vocals of keyboardist Shawn Hartung were rather pleasant for a late morning/early afternoon boogie. After the Hoochi set, I made my way to the first of two Chicago bands, starting with Family Groove Company on the Sunshine Stage. Their set was solid and highlighted by the set closer, an interesting up-tempo run through Otis Redding’s “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay.” After FGC, I headed towards the Main Stage for Cornmeal who rocked during the rare afternoon sun. Their last jam was a nasty, extended disco-grass throw down that segued perfectly into the Lotus set already in full swing on the Sunshine Stage.

Approaching the stage just as the group began the super funky “Tip of the Tongue,” I couldn’t help but boogie my way up towards the already massive dance party. As a unit Lotus is top-notch. Their funky groove-centered jams had the afternoon crowd moving and helped keep the blood going as the temps began to dip down again!

The second of Umphrey’s McGee’s festival set was okay and even featured a couple of guests (Mike Racky and George Jones on “Great American”), but it was the reunited Blind Melon that tweaked my interest. The decision to replace the legendary Shannon Hoon with avid Blind Melon fan Travis Warren was a tricky and risky transition, but Warren stepped up to the plate. His take on Blind Melon classics, especially “No Rain,” was impressive and eerily similar to Hoon. Their set was good, but to a hardcore Blind Melon fan it could have come off as a glorified cover band. The rest of my evening featured pieces of G. Love, The Roots and moe. before settling in for a nasty late night funkstravaganza from Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk.

Sunday

Finally sunshine and warmth joined the party!

My morning opened with the bouncy funk of Iowa-city based Euforquestra. These gents kept the crowd, many of whom looked rather ragged, moving in the early afternoon heat. Their infectious polyrhythmic grooves helped this scribe, and a handful of others, sweat out a good bit of the previous day’s party and provided a lively jolt of necessary energy.

The rest of the afternoon was hot, both musically and literally. The Bloomington, IL-based Backyard Tire Fire rocked the mid-day music fans with their raw, raucous hillbilly stomp, highlighted by a fierce take on Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers, Guns and Money.” Over on the Main Stage, Hot Buttered Rum zipped through their set and even dropped a version Phish’s “Possum” before welcoming out moe.’s Al Schneir for a song. But, it was the lively back-to-back funk sets from Dumpstaphunk and George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic that set the day off! The intense energy from Dumpstaphunk ignited the rowdiest dance-off of the weekend, and carried seamlessly over into the Parliament set. Ivan Neville, Tony Hall and crew exploded through their set with a fury. The “Africa/New Orleans” jam was off the charts, and the interplay between the dual bass work of Hall and Nick Daniels was virtuosic and explosive, and entwined harmoniously with both Ian and Ivan Neville’s melodies.

After a brief stop over for Banyan, it was back to the Sunshine Stage for Parliament. This was the most crowded set of the weekend, and was perfect for the beaming, sun-soaked late afternoon. Classics like “Bop Gun (Endangered Species),” “We Want the Funk” and “Cosmic Slop” worked the crowd into an uncontrollable frenzy. Flashy ’70s style pimp suits, men in diapers and a plethora of band members roamed on and off the stage throughout the two-hour set. Clinton was right on with his “one nation under a groove, getting down just for the funk of it” vibe, which is exactly what transpired.

Energized by the overload of funk, moe. took the stage for their final sets of the weekend and showed why they’ve been the focus of the festival. The monster second set was ridiculous. The “Not Coming Down” > “Wormwood” > “Synchronicity” segue was slick, and during which Schneir and Garvey appeared high above their subsequent stage sides on the massive lighting rigs, where they proceeded to shred! moe., who might have been outshined earlier in the festival, stepped up their game and gave the energized crowd a wonderful send off with a seventeen-plus minute “Rebubula” encore.

I’ve seen this festival grow leaps and bounds over the last several years, and this year’s edition was the most solid lineup to date. Wayne Coyne was on to something when he mentioned how this was “one of the great festivals in America”, and hopefully it will stay that way because the bar they set this year was extremely high.