Robert Walter – The Joy of Violent Movement

Formed by Eddie Roberts and Robert Walter founding members of The New Mastersounds and The Greyboy AllStars respectively, The Rare Sounds is a new act that also features The Greyboy All Stars’ Chris Stillwell and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe and The Greyboy AllStars’ Zak Najor.

The Rare Sounds’ debut single “Yeah You” is a gritty and urgent bit of 70s-like jazz funk and fusion centered around a relentlessly funky groove and some inspired soloing that to my ears is a slick mix of The JBs Booker, T and the MGs and Headhunters era Herbie Hancock. And at its core, is the knowing familiarity, comfort and esteem held by musicians who have played together for years in a number of different projects and configurations.

Interestingly, the Robert Walter penned composition had been workshopped in several different projects but its found a home during the band’s session at San Francisco‘s Hyde Street Studios last August. Walter describes “Yeah, You!” as “70s jazz-funk and fusion before the edges and dissonance were smoothed over to make it more commercial.”

The band will be releasing additional tracks from their Hyde Street Studios session in the coming months and plan on booking additional performances in select markets to showcase the material.

WRD Trio is a dynamic and gritty organ trio that features three highly accomplished bandleaders and musicians:

Leeds-born, Denver-based New Mastersounds founder, solo artist, collaborator, producer and Color Red Music co-founder Eddie Roberts (guitar). As either a member of New Mastersounds, a sideman, solo artist and/or producer, Roberts has collaborated with an eclectic array of artists including The Soul Rebels Brass Band, Lou Donaldson, Corrine Bailey Rae, Quantic, Carleen Anderson, Keb Darge, Kenny Dope, John Arnold, Mr. Scruff, Snowboy, Fred Everything, Portishead‘s Andy Smith, JTQ’s James Taylor, LSK, Karl Denson and a lengthy list of others.
San Diego, born-New Orleans-based, Robert Walter (Hammond B3 organ, Fender Rhodes) a founding member of The Greyboy Allstars and 20th Congress. Walter has collaborated with the likes of Fred Wesley, Gary Bartz, Skerik, Melvin Sparks, Andy Bey, Reuben Wilson, Harvey Mason, Clap Your Heads Say Yeah‘s Alec Ounsworth, Anders Osbourne, Red Holloway, Chuck Rainey, Phil Upchurch, Mike Clark, Johnny Vidacovich, Mike Gordon, Steve Kimock and a lengthy list of others. Walter has also developed a reputation as a rising film score composer

New York-born, Denver-based Adam Deitch (drums). Initially starting as a member of Lettuce and Break Science, Deitch’s career has been centered around a genre-defying eclecticism: he has worked in hip hop, jazz, funk, electro pop and jazz, collaborating with Wax, Ledisi, John Scofield and 50 Cent. Deitch has received a Grammy nomination for his work producing and cowriting on Ledisi’s Turn Me Loose. He’s also a co-founder of Royal Family Records.

Walter, Roberts and Deitch would often bump into each other at New Orleans Jazz Fest, and in those those meetings, the trio would longingly discuss future collaborations together. Generally fueled by Roberts’ long-held belief that the trio would yield something impactful and interesting, the Leeds-born, Denver-based guitarist realized that with the co-founding of Color Red Music, that it was a perfect time to bring everyone into the studio to put some tracks on wax.

The end result is the trio’s recently released full-length debut The Hit, which was written and recorded in just two single-day sessions at Color Red Studios. Sonically, the album is reportedly one-part Sunday stroll and one-part rocket ship to Saturn centered around their unmistakable simpatico. (Perhaps that simpatico draws from the fact that each member is a Taurus, with each member’s birthday being a week after the other.)

The Hit‘s first single “Chum City” finds the trio collaborating with The Twin Cats‘ Nick Gerlach on a funky and strutting number centered around a grinding and muscular groove reminiscent of Chuck Brown-era go-go music and Booker T and The MGs and an arrangement that’s loose enough for all of these talented musicians to deliver some impressive solos. Simply put, this one is just fucking nasty y’all.

Tag: Robert Walter

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