Postmodern Blues is the musical collaboration of keyboardist Brad Booth and guitarist Scott Hedges, based in the Washington D.C. metro area. Our music can only be classified as jazz-fusion; as it represents a blend of modern jazz, R&B, and rock genres. Our sound is a high-energy mix of these styles in the spirit of fusion bands of the 1970s and 1980s, like Weather Report, Chick Corea's Elektric Band, the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Tribal Tech. We have been writing, arranging, and performing together for many years, and The Many Designs represents our second studio album. The Many Designs was recorded at Scott’s Dragon’s Lair Studio in Silver Spring, MD. and Brad’s Dragonfly Mile Music in Bethesda. It was mixed at Dragon’s Lair studio in late 2007 and mastered by Scott Hull (mastering engineer for Steely Dan; Vital Information) at Scott Hull Mastering in New York.
The 9 tracks on the CD represent a wide range of fusion ideas developed over many months, and features extended, guitar-driven numbers with multiple themes (“Slack Hand”); songs with poly-rhythms and unorthodox time signatures (“SAE What”); shorter pieces focusing on groove and melody (“Giant Steps”); contemplative ballads (“Spectral Witness”); and even a tribute to the great songwriting of the Yellowjackets (“Straight Jackets”). As writers and arrangers first, Postmodern Blues is always seeking the best musical fit for a particular tune. For this reason, a highly diverse cast of accomplished jazz players from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region are featured on the album. This ensures a fresh approach to each piece, keeping the energy levels high and the grooves ever-changing.
For The Many Designs, outstanding Senegalese bassist and rising star Cheikh Ndoye contributed his fantastic playing as well as two of his own compositions. Other musicians featured include drummers Damiene Connor and Adrian Green; bassist Ebryma Dieng (“Etu”), saxophonists Kyle Whelan and Matt Rippetoe; percussionist Romero Wyatt, and trumpeter Brett Lemley. Postmodern Blues has been a featured performer at many venues in the D.C. metropolitan region, including the annual Takoma Park Jazz Band Brawl & Festival. Both Scott and Brad are currently writing, arranging and mixing material for the next Postmodern Blues album, as well producing & performing with a host of R&B, jazz and rock artists in the MD/DC/VA region.
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