Album Notes

Soul Cycle is a high-powered instrumental funk trio that creates stunning urban jazz soundscapes for the 21st century. This Brooklyn-based group is known for its beautiful melodies, haunting harmonies, and staggering rhythms. The Soul Cycle sound is based on the blueprints drawn in the early 1970's by Herbie Hancock, Weather Report, Roy Ayers, James Brown, but extended to reflect the sensibilities of the hip-hop age and beyond. Soul Cycle will blow your mind.

Soul Cycle is proud to be part of the new movement of musicians who emphasize raw emotion, personal expression, and group unity. Musicians whose love for music (and musical training) extends from the Baroque era, through Bebop and Motown, and into Breakbeats and Hip-Hop. Musicians who make complex things look simple, and who make the simple things the most complex. Musicians who will try anything to tell their story to their audiences.

Conceived in New Jersey three years ago, Soul Cycle relocated to Brooklyn in 2005, and is quickly becoming an important part of New York City’s jazz, hip-hop, and soul music communities. The trio independently released their first record in 2005, and is currently working on the follow-up release, planned for the fall of 2007.

Jesse Fischer (keys) began playing piano when he was about two. He has been playing professionally since 1995. At Mason Gross School of the Arts, he studied piano with Stanley Cowell, and he has also attended the School of Improvisational Music in New York, where he took lessons with Vijay Iyer and Andy Milne. In addition to performing with Soul Cycle and many other groups, Jesse is also an accomplished producer of hip-hop and R&B music.

Josh David (bass), from Roselle, NJ, grew up singing in church and playing bass and guitar. Since graduating William Patterson with a degree in jazz performance, he has recorded and toured with many internationally known jazz and hip-hop artists, including Q-Tip, Common, Renee Neufville, James Poyser, Redman, Rodney Jerkins, and Kim Burrell. Josh currently lives in Brooklyn and leads a roots reggae band, Judah Tribe.

Corey Rawls (drums) has been playing drums professionally for ten years. At Mason Gross School of the Arts (Rutgers University) where he received a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies, Corey was taught by jazz greats such as William Fielder, Stanley Cowell, Ralph Bowen, Ralph Peterson, Vic Juris and Victor Lewis. Mr. Rawls now teaches music at Passaic County Community College and gives private instructions for drums.