We began recording the album back in 2015, which feels like a long time ago. What was the recording process like for Abstract Notions? It was great that we could help keep that music going so late into the night. After the last JazzFest headliner finished, a lot of people came over to Level 3 to see us play. How was your last JazzFest weekend experience? Our goal is to not sound like the album live, but to take the music somewhere else each performance. With debuting our album, it’s given us the opportunity to play the original music at our gigs, while continuously developing Abstract Notions on different playing levels. What’s the past year been like for the band, with your debut album out? We could start off by doing something by Frank Sinatra from the 1940s, but, depending on the crowd and how rowdy or calm they are, we could break into something like Beyoncé. It all depends on the room and the crowd. Sometimes we may be playing soft, background jazz music.
Sometimes we are playing loud, dance-oriented music. We pay attention to our listeners wherever we perform and adapt our style to what they might enjoy. Our style is like water, as it flows and adapts to whatever the shape of the cup it is in. You guys play everything from original music to covers spanning many genres, both old and new.
As of now, the Cosmic Collective is comprised of many members, hence the name Collective. We realized we needed to be out performing and sharing this special sound with people all around. We would jam all the time and realized we had to do something bigger with our music. The Cosmic Collective members met at MTSU in two or three different jazz combos in the music department. One of the best parts of Cosmic Collective is that we play gigs with different people depending on who is available on a certain day. From the beginning, we’ve had different people who would play with the band. The reason we call it the Cosmic Collective is because I knew it would evolve over time. To start off, can you tell me the story about how the Cosmic Collective came to be? The Pulse spoke with Cosmic Collective singer Nikki Michelle ahead of the band’s Jazz after Dark performance. Joining Gillespie are Los Angeles-based Lao Tizer Band, First Fruit Jazz Project, MTSU Jazz Ensemble I, Ethos and MTSU Jazz Faculty. This year, JazzFest, a two-day event that brings together national and local jazz performers, features headliner Valerie Gillespie, an acclaimed saxophonist from Tampa, Fla. This year the Cosmic Collective will return to the Murfreesboro Public Square’s Level 3 on Saturday, May 6, for Jazz After Dark, a late-night set the same day of the Main Street JazzFest. Produced by up-and-coming jazz producer Jon Estes, the album’s personnel includes vocalist Nikki Elias, bassist Tyler Enslow, drummer Jed Smith, saxophonist DeVante’ Buford, keyboardist Ashton Kimbrough and guitarist Jonathan Rogerson, with many members being MTSU alumni. The band released its debut full-length, Abstract Notions, in April 2017 with a release party at Nashville venue The Night Owl. Since forming in 2014, members come and go freely for live performances depending on availability. The band’s versatile set also lends itself to various festivals, weddings and private events throughout the year.Īs a collective, the group is ever-evolving. On any given weekend, Murfreesboro jazz group the Cosmic Collective takes the stage at local venues like Level 3, The Alley on Main and Blue Note Whiskey Bar, or down the road in Franklin or Nashville.
0 kommentar(er)
