EIGHT 02 at Burlington Discover Jazz Festival 2013
Eight 02 is a band that could have easily never happened. Its genesis was the Jazz Fest 2011, when Lucas Adler filled in for the drummer in Picture This. “Peter Engisch and Jerome Monachino, the founding member of Picture This, felt a musical connection with Luke there, and then we all opted to start reworking AND re-recording some of the 30 or more original tunes of Picture This material,” they say. They added Chris Peterman on horns at the suggestion of their manager, which completed the quartet.
Eight 02’s latest EP DRIVE reached #5 on The Smoothjazz.com Top 50 Album Charts in January. When asked about his influences, Adler said “Our influences run the gamut, but of late we are into what Jeff Lorber, the Yellowjackets and Brain Culbertson are doing - groove masters with a jazz flair and plenty of chops to back it up. We pay particular attention to melody married with a distinctive groove. As players, locking into that is paramount. Our sound has been described as a mix of contemporary jazz with a decidedly fresh fusion flavor. EIGHT 02 is accessible fusion. With an emphasis on melodic architecture that is balanced by raw-spirited improvisation... I like the saying ' within form there is freedom'!”
Regarding upcoming plans, Eight 02 is very motivated and optimistic: “Looking forward, we are very pleased to be getting more local and regional gigs, which are a great foundation for us to not only hone our live skill-set, but to try out our new material as well. So far so good! We would like to expand our local and regional gigs to the national, and perhaps international, scene. With our latest EP, DRIVE, hitting number 5 in jan 2013, this goal is not totally out of reach, and with a little luck and a lot of hard work, I think we will get there. Right now we are doing all the booking ourselves... Sometimes it feels like we are moving forward like a herd of wounded turtles, and we would love to get some help from a booking agent who understands the potential of EIGHT 02. In addition to gigs, we are beginning to record our new material, which has been very well-received in our live shows. The new tunes are truly a microcosm of who we are, and we are very excited about documenting our new music. Although our first two CD's are self produced, we are certainly considering working with a producer who can help get us to the next level.” Eight 02 is very excited to play Jazz Fest 2013, as it will be the two year anniversary of their formation. Check them out!
Image credit: https://www.facebook.com/Eight02?group_id=0