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Check out John's new project at: www.henhousestudios.com
"For thirty years I’ve been saying I was a jazz drummer before I got into the Doors. In the years since then, I still claim to be a jazz drummer. The problem is I’ve never actually made any jazz records. Finally, I’m putting my sticks where my mouth is. I recently performed in a concert with Randy Newman to benefit my son’s diminishing school music program. As fate would have it, that’s where I met Art Ellis. A veteran jazz performer and composer, Art had been producing his original Afro/Jazz music with Jimmy Haslip of the Yellowjackets, as well as performing as opening act in festivals with Sting, King Sunny Ade, Milton Nascimento and many others. Forming the nucleus of what has become the Tribaljazz project, we began reworking the wonderfully melodic lines of Art’s music into a synthesis of world rhythms and acoustic classic jazz that pleases us both. The result was the infusion of a "tribal" sound with accessible, heart felt jazz tunes. With our concept in place, we decided to ht the studio. We needed a piano player that played classic jazz, but loved the energy of African, Latin and Brazilian grooves. Our prayers were soon answered when we met the bright, energetic young pianist Quinn Johnson. His shining and sometimes explosive solos lifted the tunes into new places. Then Art’s long time upright bass player collaborator, Egyptian-bred, Osama Affifi joined the mix and the groove struck "within two bars", to quote the glowing bassist. Next, I asked my old pal, Guatemalan conga player Miguel Rivera, to help me build a solid rhythm section. Finally rounding out the group, we added Christina Berio who brought her eighteen years of playing in Brazil to tighten the percussive tension. From the loping groove of "Blues for Bali" to a similar bossa nova beat I used for "Break On Through" and now giving it back to "Vegetable Wizard", to a tip of the hat to my old band with a salsa version of "Riders on the Storm". Tribaljazz is the fulfillment of a longtime dream of mine, which is to evolve the driving hypnotic style of drumming I used in the Doors into a fresh, strongly melodic version of the classic jazz music I have loved for all these years." - John |