Starebaby: Brand new Jazz/Metal/Prog/Fusion Supergroup

[Baribrotzer]

Supergroup?

Yes.

Maybe not in terms of prog-fan or metalhead recognition, but in terms of talent and musicianship, absolutely.

Here's the lineup:

• Dan Weiss (drums, compositions, leader)
• Ben Monder (guitars)
• Trevor Dunn (electric bass)
• Craig Taborn (synths, piano)
• Matt Mitchell (synths, piano)

All these guys are at the very top of the A-list of current NYC jazz players. When it comes to ability, there's no one better - although at that level, comparisons become apples-and-oranges. Still, I'd say they equal or outstrip any metal or prog band, past or present, in playing skill; and their material isn't too shabby either.

Here's their Bandcamp page, with a couple of cample tracks available: https://danweiss.bandcamp.com/album/starebaby

[Steve F.]

It's a great album.

[walt]

Eagerly awaiting its appearance at Wayside.I'll be at Nublu 151(NYC) this Sunday.See link.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1563559833712089/

[battema]

Oh, neat! I'll have to pick that one up too.

[Steve F.]

We'll have it next week....

[battema]

I'm a patient dude!

[Dave (in MA)]

Starting around :50, it reminds me of Tony Williams Lifetime.

[walt]

Article in today's NY Times on the album.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/29/a...ype=collection

[Baribrotzer]

A couple of live clips - the band didn't even have a name at that point.





It's funny - you can tell that these guys are jazz musicians, even though what they're playing only occasionally has any resemblance to jazz. It's in the feel: the music swings rather than stomps; and while not at all sloppy, there's a kind of looseness, an undefinable sense of first-class musicians halfway reading the material and improvising their way over the rough spots, rather than lesser (but still good) players who've rehearsed until they have every note dead-on. The Tony Williams comparison was a good one.

[nosebone]

Sounds like the tunes were written over rhythmic patterns.

[Baribrotzer]

Sounds like the tunes were written over rhythmic patterns.

I wouldn't be surprised if they were - Dan Weiss has made a study of Indian music, and also plays tablas.

[walt]

I wouldn't be surprised if they were - Dan Weiss has made a study of Indian music, and also plays tablas.

Weiss has accompanied Indian musicians on tabla in concerts around NYC.I saw sarangi master Kamal Sabri with Dan Weiss on tabla last November at Chhandayan Center in NYC.Weiss has also played with Aashish Khan(sarod),Ramesh Misra(sarangi),and Anupan Shobhakar(sarod).

[Mascodagama]

Truly a stellar lineup. Gonna have to get this.

[Steve F.]

It's here tomorrow

[walt]

I've tossed my shekels in the general direction of Silver Spring MD.

[Joe F.]

I enjoyed the camples on Bandcamp. Ordered from Wayside today.

[Hobo Chang Ba]

Wasn't in love with the album sampler (but I'm generally not with those types of things...) but this is certainly something I should like. Hopefully I'll be able to find some samples before buying (which I will probably do anyway as I love Weiss)

[Staun]

Was just listening to camples of Cry Box. I gotta have this. And on vinyl to.

[markinottawa]

and OMG they are actually coming to Ottawa to our little jazz fest as is Sun of Goldfinger (Tim Berne, Ches Smith, David Torn), and GoGo Penguin

It's here tomorrow

Got it
thx

[Steve F.]

This isn't coming anywhere near me, but some of you LUCKY folks will have a chance to see this band:

6/17/2018 The Dazzle - Denver, CO
6/18-19/2018 Blue Whale - Los Angeles, CA
6/21/2018 Mississippi Studio - Portland, OR
6/22/2018 Earshot Festival @ Royal Room - Seattle, WA
6/23/2018 Winnipeg Jazz Fest - Winnipeg, MB
6/24/2018 Vancouver Jazz Fest - Vancouver, BC
6/27-28/2018 Toronto Jazz Fest @ The Rex - Toronto, ON
6/29/2018 Ottawa Jazz Fest - Ottawa, ON
7/07/2018 Gent Festival - Gent, BE
7/08/2018 A Trane - Berlin, DE
7/10/2018 Copenhagen Jazz Fest - Copenhagen, DK
7/11/2018 On The Road Jazz Festival - Brescia, IT
7/14/2018 North Sea Jazz Festival - Rotterdam, NL

[Baribrotzer]

Looks like a jazz festival tour. From what I understand, those can pay well and the operations are very professional. That explains its odd West-Coast start - there's a few warm-up gigs in Denver, LA, and Portland (about two miles from my house, hooray), then mostly Canadian and European festivals.

[Steve F.]

Looks like a jazz festival tour. From what I understand....

From what I understand, the fans are less inclined to whine about everything....

[NogbadTheBad]

Just bumping this as I listened it it again today and its bloody marvellous.

[Steve F.]

Just bumping this as I listened it it again today and its bloody marvellous.

OH, YEAH it is.

I saw them at a wonderful (but conservative) jazz club in Baltimore in September, 2018, where the owner AND the compere were complaining about them and their volume (they weren't the loudest band I ever heard there at all, BUT they were the most RIO-type band I ever heard there).....

[proggy_jazzer]

^^^
Agreed! I picked it up on last month's Bandcamp proceeds-to-the-artist day, and am still absorbing it. Weiss is a monster, and Monder and Taborn are two of my favorite artists. Think I'll put it on this afternoon!