Tracklist:

1. Bush Wacked (Music by Mark Whitecage; Lyrics by Jeanne Lee; newspeak from an article by Elaine Cassel) [17:08]

2. Where Has My Father Gone (Music by Roy Campbell, Jr.) [16:10]

3. The Dope and The Ghost (Music by Roy Campbell, Jr.) [19:10]

4. Next Step (Music by Joe Fonda) [20:37]1. Bush Wacked (Music by Mark Whitecage; Lyrics by Jeanne Lee; newspeak from an article by Elaine Cassel) [17:08]

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Line-up:

Roy Campbell, Jr. - trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals

Mark Whitecage - alto saxophone, clarinet, newspeak

Joe Fonda - bass

Lou Grassi - drums

Marco Eneidi (Guest) - alto sax (track #4 only)

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Recorded:

live at Porgy & Bess Jazz and Music Club, Vienna, Austria, January 27, 2005

 

What the critics say:

You can tell that these cats are master improvisers as they make cosmic connected music from their own vocabulary. There is some incredible, quick tight-knit three horn improv going on that is especially exciting as the rhythm team spins intensely underneath. Yeah! Go ahead guys! Building and building, escalating higher and higher, as each horn takes a solo, soaring into the skies. It is certainly a wonderful thing to go along for the amazing journey to the stars! 

(BLG)

 

***

“This quartet outing highlights the integration of hyper-mode phrasings, torrid exchanges and judicious placement of melodically-tinged themes. . . the instrumentalists’ stylistic mode of operation and intuitive interplay cannot be understated. These seasoned modern jazz warriors exalt a hodgepodge of emotively-charged and revved-up undercurrents that yield the winning edge.” 

(Glenn Astarita AllAbout Jazz)

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***

“The Nu Band is something special. Free bop with a political message . . . These guys ARE free jazz. Each of them has played a major role in shaping what the genre is today, in showing new ways of expressing emotions and of jointly creating a superb listening experience . . . This is music that is adventurous, emotional, but at times so tight, so interlocked, so on the same level, that it's getting uncanny. But the greatest thing : it's real fun too. The intensity! The interplay! The melodies! The emotions! The music!” 

(Steph.blogspot)

 

***

“Not easily pigeonholed, the music of The Nu Band negotiates the boundaries of free-bop, improvisation, chamber, and traditional jazz with bias toward none. . . the players trade tirade for interplay—making their point—negotiating tightrope walking acrobatics and burning moments. Their interplay and cohesiveness is quite impressive. The dialogue they have for such a loosely assembled unit is anything but loose.” 

Mark Corotto AllAboutJazz.com

***

“Fiery and politically charged . . . intense and introspective . . . their best album to date.” 

 

(Marc Medwin All About Jazz NY)