Roman Street

Last year, Roman Street claimed a spot in the Top 10 of Billboard’s smooth jazz singles chart, demonstrating to one and all that the coastal Alabama band’s appeal is more than just a local or regional phenomenon. Now the group’s “Caravan” has come in.

It was a single by that name that became the group’s biggest success so far. It was a triumph, but there was a catch: There wasn’t an album yet to capitalize on the single’s success. “Caravan” was a re-recording of a tune that had appeared on the group’s second album, “Amore,” released back in 2009.

With the new “Caravan” on its way to becoming one of Billboard’s Top 25 smooth jazz songs of the year, the band had to make fans wait for a full-length follow-up. Group member Noah Thompson said it wasn’t frustrating, however, because he knew that the material simply didn’t exist yet. And the success of the single served as encouragement.

On Friday, May 10, Roman Street will play a “Caravan” release show at the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel in Mobile. The 7:30 p.m. performance is the first show in a new series being presented by the hotel; admission is free.

On Saturday, May 11, the group will present another album release show at WorkPlay in Birmingham. Tickets for the 8 p.m. performance are $10 in advance at $12 day of show. For tickets call 205-380-4082. To reserve a table contact Emily Haslett at 205-879-4773 ext. 4002 or e-mail Emily@workplay.com.
For music samples, up-to-date details on the availability of “Caravan” and other information on Roman Street’s activities, visit www.romanstreet.com.

On May 10 in Mobile and May 11 in Birmingham, the group will perform album release concerts officially unveiling “Caravan,” the album. Longtime fans will find it to be a collection that moves the group’s sound forward, while retaining all the elements that made it popular in the first place.

In the case of Roman Street, that’s quite a mix. The band -- brothers Josh and Noah Thompson on guitar and Daniel Brett on percussion -- has always brewed a distinctive blend of instrumental music. The sound blends steel-string and nylon-string guitar with African, Caribbean and Latin-American percussion; influences include nuevo flamenco, gypsy jazz, and classical guitar music. An expanded full-band lineup includes bass, violin and keyboards. Truth be told, it makes them a bit hard to categorize.

“Everybody asks us what we should be called,” said Brett. “The truth is, we just write what we want to write.”

The key thing has always been the group’s ability to strike a balance between complexity and accessibility. The songs are intricate enough to be challenging to the players and rewarding to serious listeners, yet melodic enough to grab casual listeners instantly. And the members know that balance is important, so they shy away from showing off. Noah Thompson said he often reminds himself that there are lots of people who can play fast, so speed isn’t the point.

“Whenever I’m writing my parts, I think if people can’t dance to it, it’s probably too complicated,” said Brett.

roman-street-caravan-cover-2013 (2).jpg
View full size

The group’s members sometimes find themselves having to defend the concept that music without lyrics also involves a writing process. “To the public at large, it’s a very foreign idea,” said Noah Thompson. “I don’t think it’s that different from writing a normal pop song. There are verses and choruses and bridges, and you try to do something different with each.”

But then, Roman Street has always been good at doing something different. Many of the tunes on “Caravan” exemplify its stock in trade: Free flowing guitar-driven compositions that have a jazzy, breezy world-music feel. Others skew more toward smooth jazz, which is itself a broad genre. Others stretch things out a bit. “On one song I play electric guitar,” said Josh Thompson. “On one song Daniel plays a drum kit.”

Standout tracks include “Fairhope” and “Beloved,” which bring a hint of wistful maturity into the mix. (“Fairhope” isn’t the only local reference in the song titles: “Royal Street Espresso” is a tip of the hat to Serda’s Coffee, where patrons can still buy a bag of whole-bean Roman Street Blend.

Supporting players featured on the album include Melody Duncan and Tom Morley on violin, Chris Duncan and Pat Coil on keyboards, Joseph “JoJo” Morris on bass and Carole Rabinowitz on cello. To record it, the group returned to the studio where they’d recorded that auspicious version of the title track, Jada Entertainment on Dauphin Street, where the project was recorded under the auspices of Matt Damico.

“It’s nice having a place in town,” said Noah Thompson. “We’ve done the Nashville thing.” (Liner notes credit Nashville with some supplementary engineering and mastering, but it’s not unusual for such fine-tuning to be left to out-of-town specialists.)

Band members say they hope the release of “Caravan” helps them continue to broaden their - Mobile Press-Register

Last year, Roman Street claimed a spot in the Top 10 of Billboard’s smooth jazz singles chart, demonstrating to one and all that the coastal Alabama band’s appeal is more than just a local or regional phenomenon. Now the group’s “Caravan” has come in.

It was a single by that name that became the group’s biggest success so far. It was a triumph, but there was a catch: There wasn’t an album yet to capitalize on the single’s success. “Caravan” was a re-recording of a tune that had appeared on the group’s second album, “Amore,” released back in 2009.

With the new “Caravan” on its way to becoming one of Billboard’s Top 25 smooth jazz songs of the year, the band had to make fans wait for a full-length follow-up. Group member Noah Thompson said it wasn’t frustrating, however, because he knew that the material simply didn’t exist yet. And the success of the single served as encouragement.

On Friday, May 10, Roman Street will play a “Caravan” release show at the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel in Mobile. The 7:30 p.m. performance is the first show in a new series being presented by the hotel; admission is free.

On Saturday, May 11, the group will present another album release show at WorkPlay in Birmingham. Tickets for the 8 p.m. performance are $10 in advance at $12 day of show. For tickets call 205-380-4082. To reserve a table contact Emily Haslett at 205-879-4773 ext. 4002 or e-mail Emily@workplay.com.
For music samples, up-to-date details on the availability of “Caravan” and other information on Roman Street’s activities, visit www.romanstreet.com.

On May 10 in Mobile and May 11 in Birmingham, the group will perform album release concerts officially unveiling “Caravan,” the album. Longtime fans will find it to be a collection that moves the group’s sound forward, while retaining all the elements that made it popular in the first place.

In the case of Roman Street, that’s quite a mix. The band -- brothers Josh and Noah Thompson on guitar and Daniel Brett on percussion -- has always brewed a distinctive blend of instrumental music. The sound blends steel-string and nylon-string guitar with African, Caribbean and Latin-American percussion; influences include nuevo flamenco, gypsy jazz, and classical guitar music. An expanded full-band lineup includes bass, violin and keyboards. Truth be told, it makes them a bit hard to categorize.

“Everybody asks us what we should be called,” said Brett. “The truth is, we just write what we want to write.”

The key thing has always been the group’s ability to strike a balance between complexity and accessibility. The songs are intricate enough to be challenging to the players and rewarding to serious listeners, yet melodic enough to grab casual listeners instantly. And the members know that balance is important, so they shy away from showing off. Noah Thompson said he often reminds himself that there are lots of people who can play fast, so speed isn’t the point.

“Whenever I’m writing my parts, I think if people can’t dance to it, it’s probably too complicated,” said Brett.

roman-street-caravan-cover-2013 (2).jpg
View full size

The group’s members sometimes find themselves having to defend the concept that music without lyrics also involves a writing process. “To the public at large, it’s a very foreign idea,” said Noah Thompson. “I don’t think it’s that different from writing a normal pop song. There are verses and choruses and bridges, and you try to do something different with each.”

But then, Roman Street has always been good at doing something different. Many of the tunes on “Caravan” exemplify its stock in trade: Free flowing guitar-driven compositions that have a jazzy, breezy world-music feel. Others skew more toward smooth jazz, which is itself a broad genre. Others stretch things out a bit. “On one song I play electric guitar,” said Josh Thompson. “On one song Daniel plays a drum kit.”

Standout tracks include “Fairhope” and “Beloved,” which bring a hint of wistful maturity into the mix. (“Fairhope” isn’t the only local reference in the song titles: “Royal Street Espresso” is a tip of the hat to Serda’s Coffee, where patrons can still buy a bag of whole-bean Roman Street Blend.

Supporting players featured on the album include Melody Duncan and Tom Morley on violin, Chris Duncan and Pat Coil on keyboards, Joseph “JoJo” Morris on bass and Carole Rabinowitz on cello. To record it, the group returned to the studio where they’d recorded that auspicious version of the title track, Jada Entertainment on Dauphin Street, where the project was recorded under the auspices of Matt Damico.

“It’s nice having a place in town,” said Noah Thompson. “We’ve done the Nashville thing.” (Liner notes credit Nashville with some supplementary engineering and mastering, but it’s not unusual for such fine-tuning to be left to out-of-town specialists.)

Band members say they hope the release of “Caravan” helps them continue to broaden their - Mobile Press-Register

Ever since Roman Street came onto the coastal Alabama music scene a few years ago, it’s been clear they were one of our “export-grade” talents. Now we’re seeing clear proof that the rest of the world is catching on.

This spring the band won a spot at the St. Lucia Jazz Festival, and now it has a single in the Top 10 of Billboard’s jazz chart.

“We have definitely had a year to remember,” said guitarist Noah Thompson.

Thompson, his brother Josh Thompson and percussionist Daniel Brett are the core of the group; the Thompson brothers sometimes perform as a duo, and the group also does full-band shows with additional players. Their complex but accessible music is an acoustic mix of jazz, Latin and classical influences.

The story of how they came to play the St. Lucia fest goes all the way back to 2007, when Noah Thompson and his wife Laura honeymooned there. He began composing a tune titled “Santa Lucia,” which later was released on the 2010 album “Shorelines.” By late 2011, it had risen into various jazz charts.

“It was really our first song that we made some real money on,” Thompson said. “That was kind of a new thing for us.”

More importantly, it raised the group’s profile. Thompson feels its popularity helped them win a contest called Atlanta’s Next Best, the prize being a performance slot at the St. Lucia fest.

Not that it was easy.

“It was kind of this typical epic independent band journey. We had to go to Atlanta three times,” he said. One trip involved an RV that broke down en route, and the third was a major logistical challenge.

“I actually woke up the morning of that competition in Zurich, Switzerland, and I had to fly across the Atlantic and walk off the plane, in the airport, they picked me up, we went straight to the theater and performed and got a spot,” he said. “So it was kind of crazy and fun at the same time.”

The overall experience was excellent, he said, and it was “personally fulfilling” to bring his song back to people of the island that had inspired him to write it.

The new song on the charts is a re-recording of “Caravan,” part of an earlier album. In quest of a richer sound, the group went into the Jada Entertainment studios in downtown Mobile in February, using local talents such as bassist JoJo Morris and fiddler Melody Duncan. The fact that it’s been picked up by dozens of smooth jazz stations shows that the approach worked. - Mobile Press-Register

RomanStreet is one of the most successful local bands in the area. Everytime they play a crowd ends up there, attracted, I think, by the unique sound of the band. It's not the sort of thing you hear everyday...or even expect to hear from a "local" band in the American South.

If anyone is looking for repeat-customers, if Roman Street plays once, you can expect the same folks to come back next time and bring their friends. People seem to love this band. They have all the bases covered...they're young, they're good-looking, they're great musicans, and to top it all off, the music they play is unique but accessible, passionate but not abrasive.-It's always interesting to watch the crowd at a Roman Street performance. If they haven't heard the band before, slowly you see a look of amazement come over their face...as if they're thinking, "I can't believe I just walked up on this".

Even when a local radio station is willing to play local artists, many times the music just doesn't hold up well inconjunction with work from established labels. Musicianship, recording techniques, songwriting...the basic foundations of the craft are not as honed as they need to be to compete for listeners' attention. A pleasant exception to that unfortunate statement is Roman Street. We have found both their releases stand toe-to-toe with national releases that are also vying for airplay. When the before-mentioned charactistics are up to professional standards, it's a no-brainer to play a successful local artist like Roman Street.

--Catt SirtenProducer of Radio Avalon and Catt's Sunday Jazz Brunch - Catt Sirten, Radio Avalon

"RomanStreet has quickly become a shining star in the Mobile Music scene. Their acoustic "Gypsy Jazz" sound has left listeners mesmerized at first listen, wheter it be live or on the radio. This has created quite a local cult following for this group. In its infancy, RomanStreet consisted of brothers Josh and Noah Thompson, but Jason Sikes (bass), Daniel Brett (conga/percussion), and Nik White (Djembe/percussion) have joined the brothers.
With the high demand for this band's music, many RomanStreet fans will be pleased with their debut full-length "Tribute".
This release lives up to its name with the band giving an impressive gypsy jazz injection on composition by Jesse Cook, Ottmar Liebert, Tito Puente and Tonic Strings (mentors to the Thompson Brothers). However, they also have included some of their exotic concoctions. Tribute opens with 'JazzeD', which is a mellow Euro seduction. Songs such as 'Love Smoke' and 'Elizabeth' are gentle and soothing in nature with the album's finale "Las Aguas" leaving the faint sound of flamenco dancers in the mind's eye while fingers pick furiously. With the local demand for this band high, it is safe to say that fans will be snatching this one up quickly." - Lagniappe: something extra for Mobile

"RomanStreet has quickly become a shining star in the Mobile Music scene. Their acoustic "Gypsy Jazz" sound has left listeners mesmerized at first listen, wheter it be live or on the radio. This has created quite a local cult following for this group. In its infancy, RomanStreet consisted of brothers Josh and Noah Thompson, but Jason Sikes (bass), Daniel Brett (conga/percussion), and Nik White (Djembe/percussion) have joined the brothers.
With the high demand for this band's music, many RomanStreet fans will be pleased with their debut full-length "Tribute".
This release lives up to its name with the band giving an impressive gypsy jazz injection on composition by Jesse Cook, Ottmar Liebert, Tito Puente and Tonic Strings (mentors to the Thompson Brothers). However, they also have included some of their exotic concoctions. Tribute opens with 'JazzeD', which is a mellow Euro seduction. Songs such as 'Love Smoke' and 'Elizabeth' are gentle and soothing in nature with the album's finale "Las Aguas" leaving the faint sound of flamenco dancers in the mind's eye while fingers pick furiously. With the local demand for this band high, it is safe to say that fans will be snatching this one up quickly." - Lagniappe: something extra for Mobile

"RomanStreet has become one of Mobile's most popular and soughtafter bands. There are not many music lovers who do not instantly fall in love with their eclectic and 'gypsy jazz' style of playing...

...in other RomanStreet news, they were the creme-de-la-creme of the Seabreeze Jazz Festival in Destin, FL, and also traveled across the pond to perform with their mentors Tonic Strings in Switzerland and Germany. Mobile needs to get as much of this band as possible before the industry snatches them up."

- Lagniappe: something extra for Mobile

"The 2008 Seabreeze Jazz Fest was the scene of my first exposure to the music of RomanStreet. I was so impressed by the talent and exuberance of these young men that I promptly obtained a copy of their CD, so that I could share their wonderful acoustic guitar and percussion with my internet listeners! Absolutely Great!" - Donna Savoy, Not Too Smooth Jazz, on Live365
(New Orleans, LA.) - Not So Smooth Jazz

"Roman Street performed at the Saenger Theatre on Sept. 1, 2007 as the opening act for Lil’ Greenwood (formerly of Duke Ellington’s Orchestra) and absolutely stole the show. This young, up and coming group received a standing ovation from the near sell-out crowd. The audience couldn’t get enough of the supremely talented quintet. It’s only a matter of time before they are discovered on a national level! Talent like that can’t go unnoticed!"



Chris Penton

Saenger Theatre- Mobile

Theatre Manager
- Commentary from Saenger Theatre, Mobile, AL.

"The 2008 Seabreeze Jazz Fest was the scene of my first exposure to the music of RomanStreet. I was so impressed by the talent and exuberance of these young men that I promptly obtained a copy of their CD, so that I could share their wonderful acoustic guitar and percussion with my internet listeners! Absolutely Great!" - Donna Savoy, Not Too Smooth Jazz, on Live365
(New Orleans, LA.) - Not So Smooth Jazz