Jonathan Scales Fourchestra + Felix Pastorius' Social Experiment in NYC
Jonathan Scales Fourchestra explodes onto stages with an indescribable sound that is as much felt as it is heard: “a Thelonius Monk-like attitude with a Mozart creativity” (Pan on the Net).
Weaving together collective and individual influences without compromise, they are as much themselves as they are a unit—a crucial trait of landmark instrumental ensembles. At center stage, steel pannist and founder Jonathan Scales’ compositional skill mixes with tasteful, avant-garde improvisations to form an unmistakably unique approach to an instrument often associated with cruise ships and tropical music. Driftwood Magazine says: “Scales is to steel pans ….what Béla Fleck is to the banjo—an über innovator.” At stage left, bassist Cody Wright’s gut-wrenching grooves and blistering, soulful melodic lines imbue the trio with a unique intensity that has to be witnessed to be completely understood. Wright is quickly becoming known around the world as a tasteful virtuoso—even bass legend Victor Wooten has called his playing “amazing and musical!”. At stage right, fueling the fire, drummer Chaisaray “Chais” Schenck’s rock-solid grooves and percussive musicality inspire Scales and Wright to push even further.
Jonathan Scales Fourchestra’s self-titled 2013 debut album on Ropeadope Records featured guest collaborators Victor Wooten and Howard Levy of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones and is fully orchestrated with horns and strings. In 2014, the Fourchestra released Mixtape Symphony (Ropeadope.), a dense, half-hour long-form album inspired by and dedicated to Roy “Futureman” Wooten, which peaked at #6 on the iTunes Jazz charts.
With promoters and critics already anticipating the big jazz festival stages in the band’s near future, the Fourchestra is currently plying their trade on club and festival stages throughout North America and Europe, building an audience one awed, mouth agape fan at a time…
The Social Experiment, a band comprised of musical contemporaries Devin Collins, William Tatge, Felix Pastorius and Chris Ward was formed to play at the Zinc Bar for the NYC Winter Jazz Fest in 2012. Since then, from the Blue Note to the 55bar and between, they’ve had the privilege to hone their skills in the New York city music scene. Individually they each bring an assortment of styles and experience to the group.
Comments