Vinyl Hampdin’s new CD “Red” is on its way to new heights as
it launches its new project and website coupled with submissions in multiple
categories in the 61st Grammy® Awards.
This super-group has a collection of stellar musicians that
defies genre and can only be described as rocked-out seriously funky
jaw-dropping ear candy with killer horns, world-class rhythm section, and a
stunning vocalist. They are a force of
nature with one goal in mind and that is to create modern deep pocket sticky
fun music at the highest possible level.
Group founder and composer Steve Wiest puts it this way
“What would Chicago, Blood Sweat and Tears and Tower of Power sound like if
they started out now?” That is the mission of this jam-packed all-star
assemblage of world-renown musicians: to take the modern landscape of textures,
hybrid styles and timely songwriting of the 21st Century and pour it all into
the venerable tradition of the rocked out horn bands of yore.
The band consists of lead singer Lisa Dodd who is a multiple
Juno-winning vocalist and bassist from Alberta, Canada. With a stellar voice
described by Jonathan Widran as “sandpaper and honey”. Dodd’s astounding vocal range is the perfect
icing to the powerhouse horn section and the state-of-the-art rhythm section
that gives Vinyl Hampdin its unique signature sound.
The all-star horn section is made up of Grammy-winning lead
trumpet phenom Frank David Greene of Paul Shaffer-David Letterman and Christian
McBride fame, tenor saxophonist Ray Herrmann from the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame super-group Chicago, multiple Grammy nominee and acclaimed
composer-trombonist Steve Wiest, renown woodwind artist Art Bouton on the bari
sax and Sly5th Ave from Prince and The New Power Generation on tenor.
To fuel, propel and power such a mixture of stellar
virtuosos the rhythm section is anchored by the former Musical Director for
Maynard Ferguson and drumset artist with Doc Severinsen Stockton Helbing,
including multiple Juno-winning Canadian guitarist Ryan Davidson, Eric
Gunnison–former pianist with Carman McRae and The Dizzy Gillespie All Stars,
with prolific producer/composer Gerald Stockton on bass.
At the center is Wiest’s compositions and originals. Wiest
and Dodd team up in the lyric writing department while Wiest composes the music
in a manner true to the group’s heritage. Each arrangement of well-known songs
is reimagined, twisted and super-charged by the pen of Wiest.
These prolific all-stars create a unit that produces an
incomparable groove that lives up to the band’s motto of “Rocked out incredibly
funky jaw dropping ear candy.”
With the release of their critically-acclaimed debut project
“RED” and the accompanying eleven videos directed by Grammy®-winning
cinematographer Andy LaViolette, Vinyl Hampdin has hit the ground running and
is beginning to spread the good word of the modern jazz-informed rock horn
band. To hear and see all of their
submissions via these videos go to
http://www.vinylhampdin.com/grammy_consideration/
Hugo Award-winning author and frequent David Crosby
collaborator Spider Robinson says“...if Blood Sweat & Tears or Chicago or
Tower of Power or Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood Of Breath had spent every second
of the last 40 or 50 years in constant improvement and musical and spiritual
growth, they might sound this good by now. And maybe not.” This should explain
why Vinyl Hampdin seeks the support of NARAS members this year in the following
categories: Best Alternative Music Album (Vinyl Hampdin ”RED”) Best Rock
Performance (Pay For It”), Best Arrangement With Vocal (“Use Me”), Best Improvised
Jazz Solo Ray Herrmann “(Pay For It”),and Best Engineered Album
(non-classical).
“I was fascinated by the music of Vinyl Hampdin, not only
did I giggle when I found out the play on the bands name ie. Lionel Hampton, I
was astounded by the caliber of artistry and musicality of the blended
genres. This band should be on every
jazz festival there is for the audience will go crazy with their musical
interpretations for they are the perfect example that represents our NOT JUST
JAZZ Movement” says Jaijai Jackson of the Jazz Network Worldwide.
Vinyl Hampdin has signed with Eric Cohen of the EC Music
Agency and will be looking for touring opportunities that will give their band
a chance to share its unique retro-minded, never stuck on nostalgia, classic
cherished style and making it a socially and sonicly relevant and necessary
part of the world today.
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