FONVILLE x FRIBUSH
Audio
focus tracks —
full record (unmastered) —
B sides (unmixed) —
Album Overview
Fonville x Fribush is the brand new musical collaboration from acclaimed drummer Corey Fonville (Butcher Brown) and organ player Sam Fribush. Charlie Hunter introduced the two young producers, allowing their collective ear, musical talents and friendship to bring out the best in one another. Together with undiscovered guitarist Alan Parker, the debut album is a tasty mixture that just may reignite a newfound appreciation for the organ trio sound. Meant to inspire a generation that’s ready for something more than reimagined blues, funk and boogaloo, this record pushes the limits of organ trio music into something more youthful and fresh.
A product of its environment, tracks are rooted in the down-home soundscapes of North Carolina and Virginia – Blue Ridge mountains, day-trips to Atlantic beaches, backyard bbq’s, moonshine, weed and block parties. The album taps into an unexplored range that honors the nostalgia of traditional organ trios like Jimmy McGriff, with the harmonic elements of Ronnie Foster and the rhythmic perspective of The Alchemist or Madlib. Simultaneously throwing back and looking forward, with nothing sacrificed in the process.
Wasting no time, the trio cut 30 tracks in just two days, recorded live in the same room at Minimum Wage Studios in Richmond, VA. They had to remove the door of the studio to bring in Fribush’s 1962 Hammond B3 organ, undeniably the standout voice on the record, which ran through live analog delay pedals. On several tracks, Parker overlays lap steel melodies in a unique pairing not often heard with the organ. And Fonville’s crispy beats and insanely creative hand-percussion textures throughout the album are a DJ’s new favorite sample. None of the songs were recorded more than once. It was all done live with no splicing, as organic as it gets. The final result is clean and not overworked – just three talented cats and a great engineer (Lance Koehler).
At the end of the day, they’ve created music for the people – blue collar jazz – which comes together in a fly and extremely palatable way.
Videos
Track Notes
(Side A)
What’d You Say — Off the bat you hear this killing drum fill and then the organ comes in with the wah pedal. This one has a hard staccato bass-line. Sam composed the melody in the style of an old time fiddle tune but you would never know because the B-section drops into the sultry, gospel-esque, Ronnie Foster type thing.
No Stress — Also extremely funky, composed around this jagged bass line. Alan plays a beautiful steel melody on this. This joint sounds like it’s an organ trio from the future. It’s like candy to your ears. The combinations of sounds and interplay is so on point.
Microwave — Maybe the lead single on the record, this song sounds like the beach. The combination of the warm Hammond and Corey’s percussion is unparalleled. It’s got the most forward organ melody. It’s warm, happy, beautiful, sexy. Feet in the sand and waves crashing at dusk. The B-section features this guitar line from another country, probably another continent.
Groove Pool — The funkiest joint on the record, featuring DJ Harrison. The kick is HUGE! The feel is on point. Wait for the organ drop in the last half of the tune to hear DJ on Clavinet. Major drum break in the middle that hiphop producers will want to sample.
Missed Call — This one sounds like a D’Angelo and the Vanguard record. It’s got an amazing guitar solo in the style of maybe Jimi Hendrix if he grew up in Virginia.
(Side B)
Talk About It — This one is really different, it’s giving the most creative music vibes. It has a really interesting arc and composition. Each layer builds organically, percussion, bass line, atmospheric guitar, whale noises in the background. It’s a beautiful oil painting, dancing with each stroke.
Dish Rack — You just got off work and you’re kind of strung out. Maybe too much coffee or your getting ready to go out with your friends. Pour me another type shit. Trip hop.
Street LTE — This is the cookout joint, some head-bobbing type shit. Corey is laying down this nasty side stick groove and Alan hits this super catchy melody. This one says everything it needs to in a real subtle way. The B-section is sort of ominous and mysterious but also sexy
Morning Jog — This track is crazy. Organ and pedal steel mixed with Corey’s percussion, snaps and a laid back ride. This tune gives something completely different that the world has never heard before in the organ trio setting.
Green Monster — Giving ECM records off the jump, heavy Jack DeJohnette ride cymbal but with that gritty, Southern feel. The organ solos in the style of Larry Young. But the B-section has that classic, down-home cookout feel. This track sets the mood for the rest of the record; the production, pedal effects with that feel-good, laid-back NC x Virginia sound. The song fades into a soundscape at the end, like a kaleidoscope or floating off into space
Contact
Managment — Margaret Willard margaret.b.willard@gmail.com
Creative direction — Chris Dunn
Corey Fonville - @coreyfonville
Sam Fribush - @samfribush