Chris Sherman (aka Freekbass) and his Funk band (aka Freekbass) maintain one of the most consistent touring schedules of any band based in Cincinnati. Soon, Freekbass (sans band) will be getting a lot busier, especially if his new “all star” project takes off.—-
Sherman has teamed up with a trio of fairly high profile musicians for a new trio project. DJ Logic is know for his groove-intensive, Jazz-informed turntable magic and versatility, evident in his collaborations with Medeski, Martin & Wood, John Scofield, Joshua Redman, Christian McBride, The Allman Brothers, Phish, Prince Paul, ?uestlove of The Roots, John Mayer, B.B. King and, most recently (and most oddly), Carly Simon. Logic — the first DJ to ever headline a show at vaunted NYC Jazz club The Blue Note — also has a series of solo releases and remixes under his belt, all highly acclaimed.
Steve Molitz is the keyboardist behind Particle, a band that helped shape the increasingly popular fusion of Jazz, Funk and Electronica. He and Particle have amassed a dedicated nationwide fanbase and toured with Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart as Hydra a few years back. Never a band to shy away from a good collaboration, Molitz and Particle performed with Hip Hop duo Blackalicious, Robby Krieger of The Doors, guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani, and DJ Logic for their 2006 live film Transformations: Live for the People.
Sprinkle in Freekbass’ untouchable prowess on Funk bass (and overall understanding of Funk in general) and the “Logic, Molitz, Freekbass” group (as it’s now being billed) is shaping up to be one hell of a groove machine with some interesting layers and textures. The trio is still in search of an actual band name; go to twitter.com/projectlogic or twitter.com/freekbass, offer your suggestion and if it’s chosen you’ll win a “lifetime guest list spot” for all of the trio’s shows until the end of time — even if they become bigger than U2!
The three’s first performance together was an impromptu set together during a DJ Logic performance in Pennsylvania this past summer, which became the impetus for the “official” project. And that project won’t debut “officially” on the East or West coasts (where Logic and Molitz reside, respectively), but right here in Freek’s hometown.
“I am personally juiced up because we are doing the debut here in Cincinnati,” Sherman recently wrote via e-mail to CityBeat. “Logic is from New York and Steve Molitz from Cali, so it is cool we are doing it here in our groovy city.”
Sherman added that the band’s debut show — Saturday, Jan. 23 at Play By Play in Silverton with local guests Crazy Legs and Perfect Norm — will be the first of many club and festival appearances for LMF.
Tickets for the event (which seem likely to move fast) can be purchased at www.rockliveproductions.com.
This article appears in Dec 30, 2009 – Jan 5, 2010.
