 Underground Orchestra Nominated For Best Jam Band Award- Starpulse News
Los Angeles' Underground Orchestra has arrived! Nominated for Best Jam Band by the OC music Awards, and sharing Bills with various national touring acts such as Tea Leaf Green, New Monsoon and ALO, the Underground Orchestra have been spreading their infectious energy throughout Southern California, and with the release of their debut album, "Active Ingredient," are poised to make a name for themselves as one of the hottest improv acts in the country. This is all in the first year of their existence.There is no doubt UO's roots are firmly planted in Rock and Roll, but their sound extends far beyond a particular genre. With a full sound involving Jazz, Funk, Fusion and middle eastern melodies, UO has one foot in the door of traditional rock stylings, and the other, wildly kicking out into the musical universe. All of this is fueled by the masterful guitar playing of Sam Feldman, truly a guitar god in the waiting. "Active Ingredient" is a wopping debut, full of blistering energy and tight groove composition, very reminiscent of the collaborative work between Buddy Miles and Santana. Add a little mandolin and Fender Rhodes to the mix, and you have the genuine article. Underground Orchestra - Now You KnowJune 24th, 2006The Underground Orchestra, in the true sense of a rock and roll band that plays improvisational music, has quickly risen to the cream of the crop in Southern California. Until now, they have been mostly a secret to local area fans, opening up for other bands and playing a few small shows in the region. Now, with their debut album, Active Ingredient, just released on June 6th, it is time for the rest of the music community around the country to stand up and take notice. If the CD release party on June 3rd is any indication, then the future does indeed look very promising for UO. With a number of album releases going on in the Southland on this same evening, including Delta Nove at Vault 350 in Long Beach, Underground Orchestra getting a 150 person paid attendance at the door was quite an accomplishment. The show ran through a number of originals, but also touched on some of the band’s influences including; Steve Kimock, Led Zeppelin, Sesame Street, Yes and Pink Floyd. The musicians in the band play like they are all studio musicians, none too dominating, but all quite skilled in their respective areas. Do yourself a favor and check out their CD that is available at www.homegrownmusic.net and www.wymanrecords.com. Also, check out the band’s website at www.undergroundorchestra.com, you will not be disappointed and will likely be pleasantly surprised. Underground Orchestra – June 3, 2006 – 14 Below, Santa Monica, CA Encore: ** (KVHW) South By SoCal – Kynd Music.com (Feb. 20, 2006) By Gregory Lake For the last week, the amount of music in and around the SoCal region has reached almost festival-like proportions. With a two-day reggae festival at the arena in Long Beach, The Benevento Russo Duo in town recording an album, and other artists ranging in styles from Jazz to Rock to Funk playing San Diego to LA and in-between, there were certainly many choices to keep any afficianados' slate busy. A sampling of some of the up and coming artists playing throughout included Matisyahu, Perpetual Groove, Tea Leaf Green, Delta Nove, Undeground Orchestra, and Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey. For good measure, throw in Ralph Stanley, Ben Harper, Lee "Scratch" Perry and Gregory Isaacs, and you have an idea of the range and depth of talent floating throughout the area. If only it had been so easy as to purchase one ticket and see all the performers in the same area, but alas choices are good too. For my own attendance, I used the sheer number of shows going on to get out of town and head down to San Diego for a few nights. Thursday, the 16th, included a double billing of Underground Orchestra opening for Perpetual Groove at Winston's in Ocean Beach. This was a good billing as both of these bands originally come out of Georgia and each ended up playing familair songs throughout their sets. Underground Orchestra, now from the LA area, opened up the show, in a role that they have familiarized themselves with, doing so for many other bands. With the experience of holding the delicate role of opener, Underground Orchestra is able to garner attention and get people moving without overpowering the casual listener. They also avoid the conventional having the few very enthusiastic supporters who are obviously close friends and girlfriends, screaming and yelling the whole performance. With only one or maybe two performances a month, this band really leaves people wanting more, especially with cover songs like the performance on this evening of, "Pigs" by Pink Floyd, a more than worthy rendition. With all the musical pieces in place and a slowly developing word of mouth, the possibilities for Underground Orchestra leave an open potential where there is really no telling where they could go. The Transformation of Mardi Gras - (Feb. 28, 2006) Saturday, it was New Monsoon in town celebrating Mardi Gras with The Underground Orchestra at the LA club, Cafe Fais Do Do. The Underground Orchestra got things started with their great sound and playful songs. Especially apparent was this embrace of silliness aspect to the band, honoring a request for "Sesame Street Jam," to the delight of the audience. By going at this perspective which showed the band's light-hearted side, The Underground Orchestra continues to show their musical depth and variety. This night was certainly all about the celebration with attendees encouraged to come in costume and the entire venue decorated for the event. Garaj Mahal and UO – Kynd Music (Jan. 6, 06) ’Opening the show was the Underground Orchestra and if you need to know any more about whether these guys were up to spit, consider the jam with special guest Fareed Haque coming on stage early. By the time these boys were done, I wasn't sure if this was to be a small Garaj crowd because almost everyone there seemed just fine with the opening band going all night’ |
Underground Orchestra- Active Ingredient
By Jon Stewart, The Muse's Muse ' Active Ingredient ' By Micheal Popke, Sea Of Tranquility - Starpulse News - August, 2006
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