The self described “Brass House” trio Too Many Zooz brings the groove to Edmonton
As part of the TD Edmonton International Jazz Festival, New York trio Too Many Zooz brought their unique blend of brass-infused house music to a packed Starlite Room on June 29. While I’m not typically a jazz enthusiast, this was one of those bands that immediately captures your attention with a very interesting and refreshing take on both the genres it is derived from.
Baritone Sax player Leo Pellegrino lays down super cool, funky, bass-esque lines while trumpeter Matt “Doe” Muirhead colors in their signature sound the way a lead guitar player would of a traditional band. The “King Of Sludge” David Parks brings the beat with his marching band bass drum, and all kinds of percussive implements mounted to it – A tambourine, cowbell, a “jam block”, and a couple other things I couldn’t identify, to essentially mimic the different components of a drum kit.
Too Many Zooz is insanely energetic, with Leo P bouncing all over the stage, never keeping still while they doused fans with their brand of EDM infused music.
Opening the show was local jazz ensemble “Good Information” with the Vertex Quartet, who played a set of Kanye West selections. Highly skilled musicians, and the crowd seemed to thoroughly enjoy them. But, as someone not familiar with Kanye’s music, I had difficulty connecting with it. The string quartet was a fantastic addition, really adding to the atmosphere and music being presented.
This was the only show I made it to for this year’s Jazz Festival, but will certainly try to see more next year!
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