Album Notes

You know you’re witnessing something revolutionary when you see it for yourself. Before James Brown got on the good foot and invented funk music, there was nothing like it. Before Carlos Santana gave American pop music a Latin flavor, nothing sounded that way. Just as jazz, rock and rap music have all pushed the boundaries of their time, the New York-based band The Element is stepping in by taking elements of jazz, Latin, funk, and pop and producing a dynamic new sound.

The Element’s goal is not to give the audience a sense of stepping through a time machine, but to take music to new places. You can call it “wild jazz,” you can jumble together a number of styles such as “afro-latin-funk-pop,” but words won't do it justice. It's simply great music!

The Element consists of New York’s hottest young musicians, and is led by the world-class saxophonist and arranger Charlie Lagond. Collectively, the band members have honed their craft from their experience playing with contemporary and legendary figures in music, such as Chet Baker, The Big Three Palladium Orchestra, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Snoop Dogg, Chuck Mangione, Frankie Negron, Tito Puente, Jr., Q-Tip, and Bill Watrous.

The Element started in 2003 with one sole purpose: to play a variety of great music and styles and bring it out to as wide an audience as possible. To this end, they have toured internationally; they have done black tie events for non-profits; they have played free outdoor concerts in near-freezing weather. And the audience has grown exponentially, consistently filling clubs at every show they perform.

The Element exists for their live concerts and pulls out all the stops on stage. The joy and energy of the band is infectious; the skill and talent is supreme. The clothes, the choreography, the image, all this comes directly from the music - the flash point that ignites the raucous stage show. They bring an excitement to live music that has been far too lacking in recent years. So sit back and enjoy the ride. Better yet - get up and dance to it!

The Element has been wowing crowds all over North America since their inception in 2003. When not touring, they can be seen within the New York metropolitan area at clubs such as Swing 46, The Cutting Room, 55 Bar, BB Kings, and The Knitting Factory, and others.

The Element released their third album, “Future Proof” in early 2007

For booking, please call 914-345-0512.

Personnel

• Anthony Almonte – Percussion
• Frank Almonte – Percussion
• Josh Bolduc – Alto and Soprano Saxophones
• Charlie Lagond – Tenor Saxophone and Flute
• Dan McGuinness – Drums
• Spencer Murphy – Bass
• Jonathan Powell - Trumpet
• Ron Prokopez – Trombone
• Jon Swift – Keyboard