I love finding a band like this

I did a gig a few weeks ago with a good singer friend of mine, I had never met the pianist before but after listening to the way he played and talking to him for a bit we soon discovered that we both dig the same brand of experimental jazz. He very enthusiastically told me about this band Kneebody. The band is made up of a bunch of LA guys, but I'd never heard of them. Oddly enough I was having a meeting a couple of weeks later with some other musicians about the summer improv class I/we are teaching and during the meeting I am introduced to a fellow bassist. After the guy leaves I find out that he is the bassist for Kneebody. So I took this coincidence as a sign that I should check the CD out.

So I go to Amoeba and buy the disc, and the coincidences don't stop ... turns out they recorded a couple of the tracks at f.boo studio, the same place where I recorded MY record. Okay, this was getting eerie. I was anxious to give it a listen after that.

The shit is off the hook. The influences of The Bad Plus and Bloomdaddies are obvious but not overt. They play hard rockin' grooves but are melodic as well, the arrangements are creative, and they are outstanding improvisers. This album is the first release from NY-based trumpeter Dave Douglass's new label. I hope the rest of his releases are this refreshing.