Grooving with friends: Contemporary jazz band
Groove Frequencies to release “Night Grooves” on May 31
It’s easy to take simple things for granted like an evening out in the city with friends. During his 21 years of service in the U.S. military, Groove Frequencies’ bassist-producer-songwriter John Stewart treasured the rare opportunities that he got to enjoy such mundane pleasures, which is what inspired the group’s fifth album, “Night Grooves.” Stewart wrote and produced the twelve-song set releasing May 31 on the B2j Music label. Three days later, “Don’t Cha Wanna Go Go,” a funky go-go joint, will drop as the first single.
With Stewart and drummer Jay Williams building the foundation of R&B rhythms and funk beats on Groove Frequencies recordings, the groove structures are then illumined by a melodic featured soloist in the form of a jazzy saxophone, keyboard or guitar lead. On the “Night Grooves” album, those players are saxophonists Jimmy Reid and Eddie Baccus Jr., guitarists Clay Benjamin and Tim Perry, and keyboardist Kevin Andre’. Additional contributions on the album come from Billboard hitmaker Greg Manning (keyboards), Parris Spivey (guitar), Vince Wiley (keyboards and organ), Chris Fischer (piano), and Curtis McCain (percussion).
The vibe is set on the album opener, “The Night Life,” as you hear a group of friends gathered for a fun evening out. Reid’s supercharged sax adds to the celebration. The energy of the city creates the ambience on “On The Run,” which spotlights Benajmin’s cool and crafty electric guitar. The title track takes the tempo down a notch and becomes a showcase for Stewart’s sinewy bass leads and elegant piano noodling.
The energy kicks back up on “Up On 6th Street,” which gets a jolt from Baccas Jr.’s horn. Stewart said the song “is inspired by the street I grew up near as a young kid. 6th Street was where all the excitement was. You could hear music from all the different establishments playing in the night air.”
The bassist shines on “In The Summer Rain,” which gets a sizzling piano solo from Fischer. Benjamin guides the joyous “Back on the Block,” stirring feelings of familiarity. Stewart explains “‘Back on the Block’ is inspired by the good feeling of being back in a place that you’ve been away from for a long time, but it still feels so familiar to you.”
Baccus Jr.’s sax on “Chill Factor” remains impassioned despite the downtempo groove. Stewart wrote the feelgood tune, saying that it “is inspired by the feeling of calmness and being at ease - in life, in work, and in yourself. It’s about feeling good about who you are and where you are in that place and time.”
Perry’s acoustic guitar fronts “Acoustic Whispers,” which is a personal triumph in and of itself.
“Tim (Perry) inspires me to be thankful for the gift of music. He had an accident a few years ago that affected his ability to play guitar with a pick. He didn’t let the accident deter him or his playing. He just worked hard and learned to play guitar again without a pick. His determination inspired me to write this song and feature his unique playing style,” Stewart revealed.
“Just The Way U Like It” features Andre’s astute jazz piano improvs. Stewart invited Andre’ to perform on the track after seeing him play on Instagram and being amazed by his style. He composed the song specifically as a vehicle for Andre’.
Stewart tasked Reid’s expressive sax with conveying his love and adoration for his granddaughter on “When Harper Smiles.” Next, Benjamin’s guitar skillfully pilots “Let It Flow.”
“Clay’s guitar technique reminds me of water flowing through a creek, as it rolls effortlessly over the rocks, smoothly as it transitions downstream. That flow is what inspires ‘Let It Flow,’” said Stewart.
The album closes with the percussive go-go beats on “Don’t Cha Wanna Go Go.” Playing lyrical lead basslines on the track, Stewart pays homage to the distinctive DC music style that he discovered while stationed in the DC-Maryland-Virginia area years ago.
The San Antonio-based Stewart has dreamed of making music professionally since he was a teenager. After his military career, he created Groove Frequencies to realize that dream. His unique vision was to make music featuring musicians that he met during his military travels and via social media. The band debuted in 2017 with the “In The Groove” album. The following year, they scored their first Billboard-charting single, “Imagine This,” from their self-titled sophomore album. Stewart hopes that “Night Grooves” will propel Groove Frequencies to new heights.
The “Night Grooves” album contains the following songs:
“The Night Life” featuring Jimmy Reid
“On The Run” featuring Clay Benjamin
“Night Grooves”
“Up On 6th Street” featuring Eddie Baccus Jr.
“In The Summer Rain”
“Back on the Block” featuring Clay Benjamin
“Chill Factor” featuring Eddie Baccus Jr.
“Acoustic Whispers” featuring Tim Perry
“Just The Way U Like It” featuring Kevin Andre’
“When Harper Smiles” featuring Jimmy Reid
“Let It Flow” featuring Clay Benjamin
“Don’t Cha Wanna Go Go”
Visit https://www.groovefrequencies.com for more information.
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