Jamison -virallinen sivu, genre: Alternative Funky

SUOSITUIMMAT TARINAT

A man walks in to a club, sees the band setting up and asks “So what do you guys play, funk or rap?” He’s talking to one of the three black guys standing there, and he assumes black guys usually play funk or rap. When one of the musicians picks up his Fender Stratocaster and three white guys enter the room and start setting up too, the man becomes noticeably confused. The musicians smile, because this encounter is typical when Jamison takes to venues. Why does this always happen to Jamison? They wonder too. While they met under unlikely circumstances, to them, it’s as natural as cars, Motown, and Faygo that three white guys and three black guys form a unique band. Jamison pulls influence from the history of Detroit Rock, Soul, Funk, Hip-Hop, Jazz and R&B. Ever heard of Sly and the Family Stone? They’re not from Detroit, but you get the idea; eclectic and diverse.

Well, Jamison is from Detroit, and yeah the idea isn’t new, but in the current landscape of bands that all seem to look and sound alike, Jamison is breaking out on the scene with a new Motown sound while keeping true to their roots and influences. Their 2007 debut album Watchin’ the City fulfills that promise and more. Made up of veteran musicians from the Detroit scene with influences that run the gamut from Santana to The Roots, and from Stevie Wonder to the MC5, the band thrives as a diverse but cohesive unit.

At a Jamison show, in between original hits like “Let It Flow” and “Paradise,” you are just as likely to hear a blazing version of The Temptations’ “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” right after a foray into a reworked White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” or the Beatles’ “Come Together.”

The band has performed at Fifth Avenue Ballroom, Fishbone’s Rhythm Kitchen, The Buzz Bar, New Place Lounge, TC’s Speakeasy, 89.3 WHFR, Jacoby’s-313jac, Lager House, Small's, Ann Arbor Art Fair, and The Detroit Festival of the Arts to name a few. Based on their performance at one local venue, journalist Mike Morland of the Michigan Journal notes Jamison’s ability to get the crowd going; “Whether they were 21 or 101, people couldn't stay in their seats. When the dance floor filled, people moved wherever there was room to dance.” That happens everywhere they go, and that is no small feat.

Erich Friebel 27 tammikuuta 2007 03.39