Amalgamation
Cleveland, Mississippi, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
Amalgamation is the bringing together of different elements. It is also the name of group that wants, on its debut Therefore, to present a unique sound.
Based in Cleveland, Mississippi, this saxophone/guitar/bass/drums quartet is heavily influenced by the blues, but with a sound that's more a mix of rock, pop, jazz and fusion, its members count Chris Potter and Joshua Redman as some of its reference points.
Some rapid stick work from drummer Coday Anthony opens the title song. Bassist Chris Hartfield, guitarist Matthew Wood and saxophonist Ryan Betz then join in dramatic fashion, with Betz out front. The music ebbs and flows, from heightened passions to soft moments of reflection. During the middle passage, Betz takes the alto to some of its lowest depths while subtly backed by Wood, Hartfield, Anthony and recording engineer Jimmie Lee Jr.—who guests on keyboards here and on "Blown Fuse"— the mood slowly building up as the band returns to the main theme.
"Blown Fuse" is aptly named. Despite the controlled noise, it's a solid, rock-jazz jam. Betz injects a bit of Maceo Parker, along with hints of Redman and David Sanborn. The bass is alive and the drums are kicking, with the timing impeccable during several phrases that, ending in stop-time fashion, find all four musicians playing in unison.
"Do You Know" begins as a haunting ballad, punctuated by Anthony's rim shots. The intensity picks up with Betz out front and Wood employing some wah-wah effects in the background. Wood leads the tranquil "Beyond the Rainbow," with Betz switching to piano. During one dramatic sequence, Wood fuses several styles, giving a taste of Andy Summers, Carlos Santana and Larry Carlton.
Amalgamation can be considered instrumental rock, edgy pop, jazz or fusion . Each label fits, but none is exclusively definitive as this quartet brings a degree of freshness to its adept balance of melody and improvisation. - AllAboutJazz.Com
Discography
Therefore - EP - 2009
Factual Reality - LP - (Release Date December 2011)
Photos
Bio
Over the past four years Amalgamation has revived the creative element of the Mississippi Delta in the unexpected manifestation of jazz and rock.The term Amalgamation reflects the band members’ wide range of musical styles that combine to create their unmistakable sound. The motley members contribute Jazz, Rock, Blues, and Pop influences that fuse to form a new and interesting amalgam of sound. Amalgamation’s music is edgy and complex, spanning dynamically from whispering pianos to screaming fortes. Although there are centralized concepts and melodies, the band’s original compositions are expressively based around group and individual improvisation. The spontaneous nature of their music makes each performance engaging, exciting and uniquely different from the next. The band has cultivated their art in such a manner to allow them to reach listeners of all walks of life who have embraced the unlikely, yet passionate sound of this intrepid ensemble. In just the four years of the band’s existence, Amalgamation has released their debut EP “Therefore” (2009) and recently recorded their forthcoming full-length album “Factual Reality” (Fall 2011).
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