The Brothers Groove
Clamp It Down
© 2000 Little Fortissimo Music (660355912627)
CD permanently out of stock. Sorry!
Pop songs driven by funk, jazz, and rock influences. Ben Folds, Police, Morphine, Zappa. Original AND accesible.
tracks
- 1 Pressure Cooker
- 2 My Girlfriend Too
- 3 You Got That Thing
- 4 Fat Daddy
- 5 Lunar Janet
- 6 Space Invader
- 7 All We Care About
- 8 The News
- 9 She's A Dancer
- 10 The Buzz
- 11 Funny With The Money
- 12 Extra Track
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notes
The Brothers Groove are three musicians dedicated to the goal of sounding as funky as possible without leaving their brains behind.
They write original music with pulsating beats and unique melodies. Their song lyrics are a blend of sly wit, social awareness and urban attitude.
The Brothers Groove were formed in Detroit, a city known as a melting pot of musical styles and influences.
Chris Codish (keyboards and lead vocals) was playing organ and writing for Detroit blues legend Johnnie Bassett and the Blues Insurgents (Cannonball Records.) On more than a few occasions he found himself gigging with James Simonson (bass), an energetic young player with his own distinctive rhythmic approach to the electric and acoustic bass.
The two clicked musically and jammed together whenever they could. They talked of forming a group that would be capable of creating its own special sound without any limitations. Enough talk.
James had worked with Kalamazoo native Michael Caskey (drums) and insisted he would be an ideal fit. He was.
The thee jelled immediately as friends, as well as a musical unit, and in August of 1999 The Brothers Groove were born. The band made a conscious decision to be a "guitarless" trio. Chris Codish noted, "I've had the pleasure of working with several world class guitarists, such as Lucky Peterson, Larry McCray and Johnnie Bassett.
I just wanted to explore a musical context that was centered on a somewhat different tonality, without utilizing the guitar." Due to its instrumental lineup some might compare the band to Ben Folds Five or Medeski, Martin and Wood, but such a comparison would be superficial at best.
The Brothers Groove's influences are enormously diversified.
Imagine the outrageous humor of Frank Zappa, combined with the funk of James Brown or the Meters, suddenly mutating into a jazzy, no-holds-barred jam, and you will get some idea of a live performance.
The subtle communication between band members borders on the telepathic as each musician contributes a dynamic ingredient to the evening's "soul food stew." Their ravenous audiences never go home hungry.
Chris Codish handles keyboards and lead vocals. He has paid considerable dues performing with national and local blues, jazz and rock artists. His unique voice is sly and bluesy, and his lyrics are laced with wit and sardonic humor. His keyboard approach is melodic, funky, soulful and improvisational.
James Simonson brings a muscular attack to the bass guitar. He counts Bootsy Collins, Flea and Motown's James Jamerson as significant influences on his road to funkdom. James lays down a solid bass backbone to support and enhance each song, but he's got chops and firepower to burn when it's time to solo.
Michael Caskey lives in his own world of rhythm. Years of study with Miles Davis drummer Billy Hart have enabled him to provide a dead-on multi-beat assault to any set of skins and cymbals. His joy in playing is evidenced by his uninhibited physical involvement on stage, much to the delight of the audience. The Brothers Groove know their way around a recording studio.
They engineered ten of the eleven tracks on their new CD "Clamp It Down." They also have a web site (www.thebrothersgroove.com) that routinely features newly recorded material.
Their main interest, though, is playing before a live audience and taking creative chances on the spur of the moment.
If you haven't heard "Pressure Cooker," "Fat Daddy," or All We Care About" you're in for a treat and a surprise.
The Brothers Groove don't sound like anybody else...and that's the way they like it.
reviews
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Brothers Groove-perfect blend of rock and R&B
author: Sandy HaleyI love this new twist on the unique Motown Rock/Blues/Soul style. If you like Purr 301 or The Rockets, you will dig Brothers Groove unique style!
A smart, simmering package.
author: Brian Mccollum, Detroit Free PressSmothered in fat funk grease, injected with an infectious wry wit, "Clamp it Down" is one of the finest local albums of the year. Led by keyboardist Chris Codish -- whose reputation brings not just delightful alliteration but also a genuine reverence on the Detroit scene -- the Brothers Groove deftly slide between slinky grooves and fiery jams, lacing it all together with a playful lyrical sense. Tracks like "Pressure Cooker" and "Lunar Janet" epitomize the attack: Codish setting the pace with his rough-hewn vocals and dancing organ lines while drummer Michael Caskey and bassist James Simonson tuck lively, supple rhythms underneath. Making it as a threesome in rock 'n' roll isn't always easy, but the Brothers Groove take their cues from the best of them -- Ben Folds Five, Jimmy McGriff, Morphine -- to craft a smart, simmering package.
Clamp It Down is an album of surprising talent
author: Suzan Alteri, Real Detroit WeeklyCapturing the Music Menu sound and Phish-inspired jam sessions, The Brothers Groove remind me of late nights dancing on tables buck naked and drunk. Right from the onset of “Pressure Cooker,” you know these guys are in it for the fun they have making music, not that this means they aren’t serious about their business. Making the music sound effortless and like good down-home fun, Clamp It Down is an album of surprising talent. While it has been said that Chris Codish can’t really sing, on this album his passionate vocals come through loud and clear. Good bass lines and even better drumbeats melded with free jazz interpretations give Clamp It Down a unique sound not often found in the Motor City. From the heady sonic attack of “My Girlfriend Too” and “The Buzz” to smoother jams such as “Fat Daddy,” “Lunar Janet” and “Space Invader,” every track is a party in itself. Pop this one open and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Reason to Buy: This city needs something else besides all that rap-rock. Best Listening Experience: “Lunar Janet.”
An uplifting melting pot of sound
author: Melissa Giannini, The Metro TimesA good time at the bar with friends, drinking thick flavored porters and stouts and dancing with strangers. These are the images construed from the music of The Brothers Groove. However, these three guys have a musical dexterity that transcends an eternity of bar band status. They're known for switching instruments mid-set at their popular Thursday gig at the Music Menu. And there's definitely a brain inside the funk soul groove they bring to a boil at every show, with hints of inspiration from contemporaries such as Jamiriquoi, Medeski, Martin & Wood and G. Love. Reaching further back, you hear straight up Parliament funk and even a bluesy vocal style, which might stem from vocalist-keyboardist Chris Codish¹s work with the legendary Johnnie Bassett and the Blues Insurgents. The band mixes organ wails and tempo changes with funk bass and jazzy MMW-style drums, but what makes the sound distinctive is the prominence of vocals and humor in the jams. One example: during "Pressure Cooker," Codish rhymes boil with girl (pron. goyal). Overall, it¹s an uplifting melting pot of sound... the kind that puts one of those goofy smiles on your face that just won¹t go away.