"The Royal Chase"
Nation Beat
With his collective Nation Beat, drummer/percussionist extraordinaire Scott Kettner has long explored the folkloric musical traditions of Brazil and Louisiana. That exploration of the shared history and culture of these two incredibly rich musical areas has led to a hybridity, one mixed with his jazz influence, inspiring Kettner and his crew to compose and perform new music that brings all of these influences together.
The chase has led Kettner to a royal payoff. "The Royal Chase," out today, is an album that represents a new distinctive sound for Nation Beat. It is the primal sounds of brass instruments mixed with drums and percussion, reinterpreting classics and presenting original songs for curious listeners who thrive on musical pluralism and surprises.
"Safe Passage"
Gitkin
Wonderwheel
Gitkin's music exists somewhere between primal, rootsy memory and distant exotic yearning -- a dusty bordertown where the familiar blends imperceptibly into the enchantingly foreign.
After a long and fruitful run with other projects, multi-instrumentalist Brian J set out to "explore tonalities I'd never messed with," as he puts it. And so the (mostly) instrumental sound of Gitkin came into being.
The result is "Safe Passage," out today, which showcases a new batch of immediately engaging, repeatedly satisfying cuts, ranging from surf exotica to raunchy roadhouse stompers to dreamy vocal cuts.
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With not enough live music to fill a weekly list, this spot will be filled by news and reviews of new albums, both local and national. Send information about your new releases to Jocelyn Murphy at [email protected].
