Japhy Ryder on 'Rocket Shop'

Zach, Will, & Pat of Japhy Ryder.

Words by Julie Jay Seger. Photo: J. Lockridge.

Half of Burlington's own Japhy Ryder came by Big Heavy World last night to talk with Kelsey and the crew on 'Rocket Shop'. Zach, Will, and Pat came to represent Japhy Ryder, a group that has toured extensively in Burlington and beyond for acts like The Roots, Femi Kuti, and the New Deal. They love playing around town at Red Square, Parima, and have a  gig this Saturday night, 1/22, at Nectars. While sampling some tunes off their most recent album,  'If The Halves Are Willing,'  we caught up with the guys to hear what they're all about and where they're headed.

If you haven't heard any Japhy Ryder, you should definitely check them out. The bands sound is a unique mix of Pat's funky bass, Will's trippy trumpet, Zach's shreddin' guitar solos and three incredible percussionists. Together, they form a crowd pleasing combo with influences from hip-hop, African music, soul, and good old fashioned singer/songwriting and acoustic guitar. Will is the songwriting brains behind most of the tracks, but it was Zach, the most recent addition to band two years ago, that really brought things together.

Japhy Ryder has new tunes in the works, some of which can be witnessed in sampling during their live shows that  they attest to being 80% improvisation. After  incorporating newer sounds into their live act, Japhy Ryder expects to have a big showcase of all their recent work this Spring. From there, the band hopes to complete a new studio album and (hopefully!) a recent live album. In any case, be sure to check out Japhy Ryder this Saturday at Nectar's, or hit up their website for more information at http://www.japhyryder.com. 'Rocket Shop' is Big Heavy World's local music radio hour, every Wednesday 8-9pm on 105.9FM The Radiator and streaming at theradiator.org.