Sunday, October 12, 2014

TOO MANY ZOOZ - F NOTE (2014)


TOO MANY ZOOZ are a trio of musicians who've been playing together in the subways of New York City for a couple years. The group features a trumpet player, a baritone(or bass?) saxophonist, and a percussionist who plays what looks like a handmade, stripped down, bass drum/woodblock set up.

They play some crazy new genre I haven't heard before. It's got an EDM vibe to it but it's all acoustic instruments, so ADM? Their Facebook page calls their style "brass house", which is pretty apt. The brass in the band gives the group a overarching jazz sound. But, like New York City itself, TOO MANY ZOOZ is a melting pot of jazz styles, going from New Orleans to Afro-Cuban to Ethiopian in the span of 5 minutes. The unique percussion gives the music a strong, drum machine-like backbeat, providing the EDM-ish vibe. But the sax player also does this crazy skronk noise that's more of a Skrillex-type of noise than a Coltrane-type of noise. 

The sound is simultaneously fresh, unique, and familiar, a good combo for mass appeal. It probably also helps having a bunch of youtube videos of their subterranean performances, and a sax player who knows how to ham it up for New York's subway commuters. 

If you live in the PNW, be sure to check them out this week:

Monday, October 13th Portland @ Mississippi Studios
Tuesday, October 14th Seattle @ The Nectar Lounge
Friday, October 17th Vancouver, BC @ The Future Sound Club


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