Album Notes

After 7 years of stirring up funky sounds Meadowlark Jivin' has stood the test of time and delivered with their latest release "It's the Groove." It's a disc destined to become a classic. With one foot rooted in the past of Hammond B-3 organs and Rhodes piano and one firmly planted in the future with experimental grooves rap guest artists and unexpected twists "It's the Groove" is not to be missed.

And just what is a Meadowlark Jivin' anyway? A bird's-eye view of a meadowlark flight-surveying the continents of Soul, Funk, Jazz and Blues? A funky bird spinning in flight like a Harlem Globetrotter launched trajectory bound to do ya in the ear-hole? It's all that and then some.

With their 2nd cd release in hand, Meadowlark Jivin' has definitely put in the required hours and dedication to make for a unique and satisfying listening experience. Tim Van Schmidt of The Coloradoan described their CD release "Have you ever seen Meadowlark Jivin?" as a: "spicy, funky sound with irresistible rhythms, start-stop precision arrangements and a cool hip attitude."

"It's the Groove" continutes to propel the band forward with the production genius of up and coming Nashville producer, Bill Elder. www.darkhorserecording.com

Elder, was not only integral in sculpting the album's distinctive sound but also jumped in and lent a soulful hand on keyboards and guitars.

Hull's songwriting and passionate vocals are at the crux of the Meadowlark Jivin' experience. A published poet and lover of jazz, Hull's songs always tell a vivid story musically and word wise. And I quote "Califradgilistic-fridgerator, spasticazazical dispensator, when you're fast asleep, I call you an alligator, what do you think about that?" Hull can sho nuff get funky on that guitar to boot.

And with the recent addition of veteran drummer Chris Beers, Meadowlark has continued to spread their musical wings. Beers, a Berklee School of Music Graduate who's traveled as far as the Mediterranean to play jazz and as far as L.A. to be a part of the rock scene, returned to Colorado in 2002 and found Meadowlark a perfect fit for his groove heavy playing. Beers says he's always looking for new ways to speak through his drums.
And one quick listen will verify that he's not simply looking but finding it. As the song says:"It's the Groove."

Meadowlark Jivin's rhythm section is anchored further by the rock solid bassist Jim Abraham. Abraham, whose musical voyage includes jamming with the R&B singer Peaches http://www.peachesandthegroovedoctors.com and the Celtic group Lalla Rookh http://www.lallarookh.com, has both the soul and the know how to lay down a formidable foundation. The chemistry, he and Beers readily attain, has found many audiences getting up, getting into it, and getting involved on the dance floor.

Speaking of solid rhythm, "It's the Groove" also features the masterful vocals of rapper/drummer/vocalist Audree D. Audree D, a longtime mover and shaker in the Colorado R&B and soul scene, puts her silky smooth vocal touch on 6 on the disc's 9 tracks and even gets her two cents in for the sisters with a self coined rap on HABU (Hook a Brother Up) Audree D can be regularly heard performing live with Peaches and the Groove Doctors and with her all female funkier than hell outfit, Glass Ceiling.

Another ingredient to the Meadowlark Jivin sound is of the brass variety. Trumpet man Kirk Knuffke http://kirkknuffke.com/ and sax man Tony Exum can blow with the best of them. Knuffke's experience in the Denver jazz scene and Exum's work with Colorado Springs rap and R&B outfits combine to give Meadowlark a horn section that can deliver. Look out for an upcoming free jazz release from Knuffke. Exum has also released a solo project on AP records and has a website: www.N-THA-MIXX.com. For questions about his disc send emails to questions@aprecords.org. With a rooting in jazz tradition and a willingness to reach towards jazz and soul futures the horn section puts a decisively elegant touch to the Meadowlark sound.