Album Notes

Wu Li, a Chinese word associated with quantum physics, means “patterns of organic energy.” Wu Li, as a band, attempts to capture the concepts referred to in their name through their music. As five seasoned musicians, they deliver both the reliability of the fixed and the movement of the unknown. Their distinctive instrumental music encompasses many styles without giving into cliché. It offers a blend of catchy melodies and danceable beats; the sound is genuine, however, and their flare for the unexpected—as musicians and as a band—offers something wholly innovative and unique to the Brooklyn music scene that seems to be bursting at its strings.

The rhythm section—Adam Strum on guitar, Benjamin Wright on bass, and Ziv Ravitz on drums—sets the space for trumpeter Mike Shobe and saxophonist Maxfiled Gast to provide the signature horn-laced Wu Li sound, then pull back to play behind trio. The effortless flow between instrumental voices makes everyone and no one a soloist. Such cohesion pays off and Wu Li is quick to defend their bond: music is more than notes - it is brotherhood.

Wu Li’s live show feels a bit like a controlled experiment. Much like the phenomenon of their namesake and the tradition of improvisation itself, you can’t plan for the experience; it’s more of a lightning storm. Their self-titled debut album, more accurate and contained, lets the lightning seep out a bit. Wu Li delivers a clean, honest sound you can get intimate with; it provides the backdrop for a world clamoring to understand itself. It inspires. It uplifts. It makes you move. It makes you think. For those so inclined Wu Li offers lightning itself. Catch it if you can.

"Wu Li’s musicians demonstrate absolute mastery of their instruments and of playing as a tight-knit group...Their maximum is above and beyond the average. Wu Li is in a completely different category, another caliber, of good music."
- Knocks from the Underground.com