Who is the Planetary Prince? According to keyboardist and
composer Cameron Graves, it’s him. The title and concept go back long before
the 35-year-old pianist struck his first piano key but in the past few years,
Graves has surveyed a fair amount of the Earth as a member of the West Coast
Get Down, a Los Angeles-based collective that also includes saxophonist Kamasi
Washington, keyboardist Brandon Coleman and drummer Ronald Bruner, Jr.
Following on the heels of his 2017 critically-acclaimed
debut album Planetary Prince, the fleet-fingered pianist is ready to continue
the message with an EP entitled Planetary Prince: The Eternal Survival EP. This
new collection of music features dynamic no-holds-barred live performances from
Washington, Bruner, trombonist Ryan Porter, bassist Carlitos del Puerto,
guitarist Matt Haze, and special guest Stanley Clarke, as well as two
previously unreleased studio sessions.
Three of the five tracks were recorded in 2017 at Graves’
record release party held at the world-famous Troubadour nightclub in West
Hollywood, CA - a room that has boasted more than 600 live albums from renowned
artists, including Carole King, Elton John, The Eagles, Tim Buckley, Donny
Hathaway and Merle Haggard. “The Troubadour was one of the first places that
Return to Forever played,” says Graves. “Stanley was going to be performing
with me. I had one of the guys there! It was just a legendary situation.”
Planetary Prince: The Eternal Survival EP Track Listing:
“Planetary Prince” (Live)
“Black Narcissus” (Live)
“The End of Corporatism” (Live)
“Titan”
“Kahuna”
The opening track features a rambunctious band engaging a
rambunctious crowd for maximum energy. With a grand piano squeezed onto the tiny
honky-tonk stage, Graves pounces on a riff that is more OzzFest than Monterey.
Washington with his saxophone and trumpeter Philip Dizack pull the tune closer
to a bullring, chomping with a matador’s confidence. Bruner keeps the
procession tight from his drum kit going through stellar solos from Graves and
Washington. “Ronald and I are telepathic,” says Graves. “I know where he’s
going to go. He knows how I sound. I have a quirky sound. Ronald has a very
precise sound. He compliments what I do.”
Joe Henderson’s “Black Narcissus” features Stanley Clarke on
upright bass for a straight-ahead display of chops and melody. Clarke has been
a mentor to many of the West Coast Get Down members, employing and
collaborating with many of them including taking Graves on the road for the
past four years. “The West Coast Get Down used to play a club in Hollywood
called Piano Bar. That’s how we all got our sound. Everybody would come through
the Piano Bar including Stanley Clarke’s son, Chris. It came up that Stanley
was looking for someone to do keyboard stuff, and next thing I knew I was on
tour.”
Clarke is responsible for Graves’ understanding of the tune,
often calling it from the bandstand as an ode to the giants of jazz. “Cameron
is an unusual kind of musician,” says Clarke. “It’s hard to put a label on him.
You can’t say he’s a jazz musician, rock musician, classical musician. He’s
well versed on all those genres of music. Very few piano players have a
technique like he has.”
“I have a little bit of hip-hop in there and a little bit of
Indian music, too, though,” clarifies Graves. “I played tablas for six years. I
immersed myself into Indian music. Because I draw from all those styles, there
is a certain quirkiness to my playing. It has this off-beat, on-beat, off-beat
constant playing around with the rhythms. I’m in and out of every type of
scale. I feel like everything works with everything in music. The dissonance
and the consonance comes together to create that magic.”
That magic is on full display with “The End of Corporatism.”
“It’s like a fast 7. I love to write in 7; 7 is just my favorite number. I love
the feel of 7. It has a very advanced feel to it.” The advanced meter giddiness
is propelled by a soulful band sound. The horns work in tandem while guitarist
Matt Haze adds his own muscle. Washington offers a breathless solo imbued with
melody and defiance. “I’m very much into the title of that song,” Graves says
with a smile. “We’re ready.”
“Titan” is the first of two unreleased studio recordings
featured on the EP. “I used to play that at Piano Bar all the time. It has a
dark theme to it. I pulled that melody idea from the movie The Fifth Element.
‘Titan’ goes into the dark but it’s a journey into the light. It’s a wormhole.”
The instrumental workout rumbles with angst, bassist Hadrien Feraud hums with
electricity as Graves unravels an anxiety-inducing display of unparalleled
technique. It is an authoritative display matched only by trombonist Ryan
Porter’s carefully constructed retort.
“Kahuna is a Hawaiian belief. It’s almost like a Hawaiian
religion,” says Graves. “It’s a spiritual practice. I put it together with The
Urantia Book. You have to put it together to get a great spiritual grounding.
When I was studying spirituality, I was getting way into the kahuna belief
system and I got so inspired.” It is also the final track on this EP. Not quite
imbued with an island vibe, the band still finds a deep pocket. Graves amazes
with a mature pace but unwavering technical prowess. A solo by trumpeter Philip
Dizack further highlights the inclusiveness.
The origin of the Planetary Prince comes from The Urantia
Book, a 20th century philosophical manifesto. “It’s a spiritual book. It talks
about the different Planetary Princes that rule each planet in this solar
system and other solar systems. There is a consciousness of the planet.” The
book has proven to have a considerable influence on Graves’ outlook on life and
his music. “It compliments the music that I write. I like to write advanced
music. I can write pop music but I’m very much into metal music -- death metal
music. That’s a big influence on my writing. That dark element in there it’s
just a cool compliment.”
A little over a year after releasing his recorded debut,
Graves is here to show that he is not only surviving but thriving, blessing the
solar system with the unmistakable sound of the Planetary Prince, bound for the
stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment