Live Show Review of Jonathan Scales Fourchestra from the Rockwood Music Hall in NYC

Here’s a great review of a recent Jonathan Scales Fourchestra show at the Rockwood Music Hall in NYC:

… I was able to catch the Asheville, North Carolina-based genre mashing act, the Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, who were ironically enough for this show at least, a trio, and not a quartet. Their material centered on rhythm and percussion as the band was comprised of a steel drummer, a drummer and a bassist. As Scales joked on more than one occasion, you weren’t going to hear some stereotypical calypso covers – or calypso-styled standards. Instead what we all heard was some jazz fusion that at time owed a heavy debt to bands such as Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra and several others but with a playful, goofy, mischievous air, while being quite funky. The steel drum played the unusual role of simultaneously setting the melody and rhythm, pulling the song forward, which allowed their drummer to play with unusual and angular jazz syncopation. And to be honest, it was truly novel (which is something I don’t say too often). When Scales mentioned that one of their original compositions was influenced by Mahavishnu Orchestra and Muddy Waters, I was probably the only one who actually knew who he was talking about, and in a way I found that kind of sad. (For some reason Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever have been mostly forgotten and I think that’s fucking shameful. But that’s another issue for another time.) On a certain level, I wasn’t completely convinced that the audience actually got them or their sound – you would be amazed by the lack of sophistication that occurs at live shows across the city – but they certainly won me over. I found myself intrigued by their unique sound and I hope to see them in town sometime soon.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE and SEE PHOTOS HERE: http://thejoyofviolentmovement.tumblr.com/post/8566415853/the-jonathan-scales-fourchestra-and-joe-fletcher-and

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The Infamous Stringdusters to headline Rooster Walk 3 on Memorial Day Weekend near Martinsville, VA

The Infamous Stringdusters, a 2011 Grammy-nominated progressive bluegrass band, will headline the third-annual Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival on Memorial Day weekend near Martinsville, Va.

A six-piece outfit from Nashville, Tenn., the Stringdusters received a Grammy nomination in the Best Country Instrumental Performance category for their song, “Magic #9.” The band will perform at Rooster Walk 3 on Saturday, May 28 at Blue Mountain Festival Grounds.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to have the Infamous Stringdusters at Rooster Walk this year,” said festival co-founder Johnny Buck. “This is a band that sells out shows across the country and tours abroad. They’ve won some of the biggest awards in the bluegrass world, but they’re also hugely popular on the jamband and ‘newgrass’ music scenes. We can’t thank them enough for coming on board. They are the perfect fit for the atmosphere and vibe we’re trying to cultivate at Rooster Walk.”

The Stringdusters achieved almost instant stardom. In 2007, while touring in promotion of their debut album, “Fork in the Road,” they won three awards at the prestigious International Bluegrass Music Association awards ceremony: Emerging Artist of the Year; Album of the Year; and Song of the Year.

The band’s live performances have been described as “anti-formulaic, groove friendly, and mind‐expanding – not your granddaddy’s bluegrass, unless your granddaddy was Jerry Garcia.”

“We are really intently focused on creating music in the moment,” said Travis Book, vocalist and upright bass player, when asked to describe the band’s style. “That means there’s some improvising and some jamming going on. People are playing different solos every night, and it seems to me to be a more dynamic experience than your typical bluegrass or string-band show. … It’s definitely a good time. That much I know.”

The ‘Dusters just finished a two-day performance at Merlefest over the weekend, where they were once again main-stage performers. Other notable events on their summer tour schedule will include sets at DelFest in Cumberland, Md., the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Telluride, Colo., the legendary Red Rocks venue in Morrison, Colo., and the band’s own event, The Festy Experience near Charlottesville, Va.

Despite nearly unlimited options, Book said playing at Rooster Walk made sense on a number of levels.

“It sounds like a good time, and that’s largely one of the guiding principals of what we do these days: What sounds like the most fun, for us and for people who want to come be a part of it?” said Book. “And Rooster Walk fits the bill. It’s gonna be a really great time, and that’s one of the most important things to us. Since we’re all just spinning around on this planet, why not try to enjoy it as much as possible?”

The Mantras are a jamband from Greensboro, N.C., with a rapidly growing fanbase

RW3 will feature 19 primary bands. The current lineup offers rock, jam, bluegrass, blues, soul, folk, funk, jazz, country and reggae. Rooster Walk will also feature arts, crafts and food vendors from the area, children’s programming, a new workshop stage and on-site camping.

Bristol-based roots rockers Folk Soul Revival (FSR), this year’s festival hosts, are the only band scheduled to play both nights of the festival.

Asheville, N.C.'s Sanctum Sully will bring their infectious mix of bluegrass, rock, folk and improv Rooster Walk

Other bands performing will include: The Mantras, the Jesse Chong Band, Sanctum Sully, Rob Cheatham & GUNCHUX!, the Lizzy Ross Band, the Kings of Belmont, the Big Fat Gap All-Stars, Jamal Millner & Comrades, Poverty Level with special guest Sammy Shelor, Relacksachian, Travis Elliott, Mariana Bell, the Martinsville Community Jazz Ensemble, Levi’s Gene Pool, Riggs Roberston and the Boys and Girls Club Steel Drum Band.

Rooster Walk honors the memory of two young Martinsville natives who passed away in the last four years: Edwin G. Penn IV and Walker E. Shank. Both were graduating members of Martinsville High School’s class of 2000. Proceeds from the volunteer-led festival go to the Penn-Shank Memorial Scholarship Fund at Martinsville High School.

In two years, organizers have donated $10,000 to the scholarship fund. Sara Kasey, a current freshman at Randolph College, was the inaugural recipient in 2010. The announcement of the second annual winner is expected in May.

General admission tickets for RW3 are currently $40 for a weekend pass and $90 for a VIP weekend pass. Those prices will increase to $50 and $125, respectively, on festival weekend. Tickets are available online or locally at the Southern Virginia Artisan Center in uptown, Binding Time Cafe and Woodall’s Music.

For more information, including details on tickets and band biographies, visit www.roosterwalk.com.

Rooster Walk is a family-friendly festival set for Memorial Day weekend at Blue Mountain Festival Grounds. Last year, 100 percent of all parents survey said they would bring their children back to Rooster Walk 3.

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Unconventional Jazz-Fusion Steel-Pan Virtuoso, Jon Scales, releases new album feat. Jeff Coffin, Kofi Burbridge & others!

Compositionally-twisted work of steel pannist Jonathan Scales “Character Farm & Other Short Stories” includes nine original instrumental “stories” and features guests Jeff Coffin, Kofi Burbridge, Yonrico Scott, and Casey Driessen. The cast of Characters hold this mind-bending concoction together with jazz edge and classical sensibility along with custom designed comic book graphics illustrating each song for the album artwork…

Asheville, NC- March 31, 2011–  The steel pan, an amazing musical discovery born in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad & Tobago, is often times associated with sandy beaches, tropical climates, and cruise ships: that’s not exactly what you get at a show by the jazz-fusion quartet, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra. Modern Drummer Magazine recognizes, “… Jonathan Scales makes the pans fit in unconventional musical spaces…” and Jazz Times goes on to state that Scales’ brings forth a “new vitality to the traditional Caribbean instrument… picking up where Othello Molineaux left off 20 years ago with Jaco Pastorius.”

Here you have a classically trained composer turned steel pan maestro and front man of the Fourchestra, Jonathan Scales, heavily influenced by the complexity of banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck to the hustle of Jay-Z. Gritty blues guitarist, Duane Simpson, and fusion-chops bassist, Cody Wright, provide the harmonic support for Scales’ sound, while jazz/hip-hop drummer, Phill Bronson, drives the time-shifting, modern grooves. The cast of Characters hold this mind-bending concoction together with jazz edge and classical sensibility.

As an immediate release by Le’Rue Records, the 3rd installment in the Jonathan Scales’ musical saga, Character Farm & Other Short Stories, is a 45-minute dive deeper into the compositionally-twisted work of steel pannist Jonathan Scales.  The nine original instrumental “stories” on the album take listeners from the primal Jam We Did to the lush Hallucinations of the Dream Chasers. The title track Character Farm takes the audience into a chilled, ‘worldly’ ride after the frantically emotional The Longest December. Guest appearance on the record include Jeff Coffin (of Dave Matthews Band / Bela Fleck & the Flecktones), Yonrico Scott and Kofi Burbridge (of Derek Trucks Band fame) and the dazzling work of fiddle virtuoso Casey Driessen.

Jonathan Scales has also been busy creating a NEW Music Video for the song Muddy Vishnu from the album which is available to watch on www.jonscales.com. Scales’ has a unique approach to his album artwork with custom designed comic book graphics illustrating each song with artwork by Gregory Keyzer. He’s also made available a glossy 19 x 13 poster with the comic graphic images.

Steel pannist and virtuoso composer, Jonathan Scales, formed his ‘Fourchestra’ in 2007 as a means to deliver his musically complex, yet accessible ideas to anyone willing to listen. Since then, Scales has released two well received, full-length works, 2007’s One-Track Mind and 2008’s Plot/Scheme which features the likes of Jeff Coffin, Joseph Wooten (of Steve Miller Band), and Jeff Sipe (of Aquarium Rescue Unit). 2011 will usher in Character Farm & Other Short Stories.  Scales’ versatility and innovative nature have allowed him to play along with with acts like The Wooten Brothers Band, Larry Keel & Natural Bridge, The Duhks, Everyone Orchestra, Toubab Krewe, Ben Sollee, Casey Dreissen, and Futureman.

Scales has been called a “…rising star of the steel drums…” by Traps Magazine, while Pan on the Net refers to him as “the Real Deal” and having “A Thelonius Monk-like attitude with a Mozart creativity that works.”  When Steel Talks sums it up with, “At the end of the day, Scales is going to be a major play in rewriting the books on steelpan music outside of the box.” With Character Farm, Scales has pushed the limits of conventional steel-pan yet again.

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Jonathan Scales Fourchestra ~ Innovative Steel Pan ~ MoDaddy’s October 1st

Photo By Jon Leidel

Show Details at a Glance:

Jonathan Scales Fourchestra

w/ Marley Carroll (DJ Set)
MoDaddy’s
Friday, October 1st, 2010

9pm, $5, 21+
828-258-1550
77-B Biltmore Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801

The steel pan, an amazing musical discovery born in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad & Tobago, is often times associated with sandy beaches, tropical climates, and cruise ships: that’s not exactly what you get at a show by the jazz-fusion quartet, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra.

Here you have a classically trained composer turned steel pan maestro (front man Jonathan Scales), heavily influenced by the complexity of banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck to the hustle of Jay-Z.  Gritty  blues guitar (Duane Simpson) and ‘old-soul’ bass (Michael Libramento) provide the harmonic support for Scales’ sound, while gospel/hip-hop drums (Phill Bronson) drive the time-shifting, modern  grooves.  The cast of Characters hold this mind-bending concoction together with jazz edge and classical sensibility.

Steel pannist and virtuoso composer, Jonathan Scales, formed his ‘Fourchestra’ in 2007 as a means to deliver his musically complex, but somehow accessible ideas to anyone willing to listen. Since then, Scales has released two well received, full-length works (2007’s One-Track Mind and 2008’s Plot/Scheme) featuring the likes of Jeff Coffin (of Dave Matthews Band), Joseph Wooten (of Steve Miller Band), and Jeff Sipe (of Aquarium Rescue Unit). 2011 will usher in the 3rd installment of Jonathan’s musical saga, “Character Farm and Other Short Stories”.  Scales’ versatility and innovative nature have allowed him to share the stage with acts like The Wooten Brothers Band, Larry Keel & Natural Bridge, The Duhks, Everyone Orchestra, Toubab Krewe, Ben Sollee, Casey Dreissen, and Futureman.

Press:

“…A Thelonius Monk-like attitude with a Mozart creativity that works.” –Pan on the net

“At the end of the day, Scales is going to be a major play in rewriting the books on steelpan music outside of the box.” –When Steel Talks

“…rising star of the steel drums…” –Traps Magazine

“…Jonathan Scales makes the pans fit in unconventional musical spaces…” – Modern Drummer

“The innovative Asheville, North Carolina based steel drummer Jonathan Scales brings new vitality to the traditional Caribbean instrument on his sophomore release, picking up where Othello Molineaux left off 20 years ago with Jaco Pastorius.” – JazzTimes

“Jonathan Scales is dropping serious musical conversation. . . Jonathan Scales clearly has something to say – and he is letting his talent and pan instrument do the talking. There are many pretenders, but double second pan player Jonathan Scales is The Real Deal. ” – Pan on the Net

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Steelpan standout Jonathan Scales comes to town

in When Steel Tlks- Pan on the Net

www.panonthenet.com

New York, USA – The Big Apple will be privy to a performance by a standout musician who is in the process of making a name for himself, both on the national and international performance circuits, and has already released two CDs. Whether leading his group “the Jonathan Scales Fourchestra,” or performing as a solo artist, the pan is Jonathan Scales’ instrument of choice, with Ryan Lassiter on drums, Duane Simpson on guitar, with Shannon Hoover as bassist.

Photo by Sandlin Gaither

Scales and his crew will be holding musical court at The Shrine in Harlem, New York on Friday September 11.

Within a two-hour time slot between 6:00–8:00 p.m., the Fourchestra looks forward to plying the audience with either two 45-minute sets, with a short break in the middle, or, says Jonathan “If we’re feeling crazy…we might decide to play one long set, maybe an hour and a half long. I’ll get the Fourchestra to vote on the matter…”

Jonathan gave WST (When Steel Talks) some insight into the intriguing name “Fourchestra,” his sophomore release “Plot/Scheme” – and more.

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WST: How did the term “Fourchestra” came about – besides the obvious indication of four musicians, and why the name?

Jonathan: “To be honest, I didn’t want to have just another ‘quartet.’ Everyone puts quartet or trio after their names, and I felt that ‘Jonathan Scales Quartet’ was a little too generic-sounding for what I was trying to do artistically. (Not that there’s anything wrong with Quartets!) We were actually called Jon Scales Quartet for the first couple months of the band’s existence. I racked my brain and SOMEHOW stumbled upon Fourchestra. When I think of the term Orchestra, I think of a consistent, set group of musicians that bring their individual strengths to the table to perform a composer’s work… I like to think of us as a very small, non-traditional orchestra.”

WST: What has been the reaction to your sophomore release “Plot/Scheme” to date?

Jonathan: “Well, I guess I have a different approach when it comes to the steel pans and I feel like people instantly “get” what I’m trying to do when they listen to “Plot/Scheme.”  I’m always pleasantly surprised when listeners like the album, because it’s never what people expect to hear.  I feel like ”Plot/Scheme” does a good job of explaining where my influences come from and who I am as an artist/composer.”

WST: There are probably specific selections from your first CD “One-Track Mind” which engendered crowd response.  Can fans coming to see you at ‘The Shrine’ in Harlem, expect to hear any selections from that debut release, included in your repertoire for the evening?

Jonathan: “There are a couple of tunes from “One-Track Mind” in particular that people seem to latch on to.  People seem to like “Desert” ….it’s one of the easier songs to get into right off the bat, but still has my ‘signature’ complexities… hahaha…

We’re from the mountains of North Carolina, so “Pan Grass” turned out to be a popular piece from that album… it’s a bluegrass/latin fusion number.  We will more than likely play “Desert,” but we may get run out of the city playing Pan Grass! (just kidding) We’ll see…”

WST: What do you want your audience to come away with on Friday evening – in addition to having heard some really great music, with the pan as lead instrument?

Jonathan: “I’m just happy to have a solid cast with me, playing my original music for people who appreciate it.  What individuals walk away with is on them!  BUT…I’m a composer before I’m a panist, so I hope that the audience can appreciate the thought I’ve put into my writing. I hope the audiences understand that I LOVE the music of Trinidad & Tobago, but I have to do my own thing that is more in line with my life experiences.  I also thank T&T (Trinidad & Tobago) for bringing a great instrument into the world – and thanks for letting me do my thing with it, as far removed as it may seem!

www.jonscales.com

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