To say that the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey's music transcends boundaries and expands minds is an understatement. Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey's bold, amorphous and visceral music is influenced just as much by post-rock and ambient electronica as traditional jazz standards, chamber music and free improvisation. JFJO has brought their heady progressive outfit from the Midwest's Bible Belt to some of America's and Europe's finest music festivals and jazz and rock clubs. JFJO has been touring incessantly and winning over fans and critics with their innovative music since 1994. After JFJO's bassist, Reed Mathis, made his professional debut on guitar in front of thousands headlining Austria's Saalfelden Festival with The Coalition of the Willing earlier this Fall, he has been incorporating the guitar into JFJO's music - taking their sound into an ever-new and exciting direction. This trio of pianist Brian Haas, drummer Jason Smart and bassist/guitarist Reed Mathis journeyed to Europe in November 2006 for JFJO's second European tour of 2006 with a dozen performances in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Italy. After the European tour, JFJO will played their only remaining shows of 2006 at The Blue Note in New York City, Dec. 8th and 9th. In August, JFJO released Tomorrow We'll Know Today, a collection a live tracks from Europe and the US available exclusively for digital download. In January, JFJO will return to the studio where they will begin to record their third album with Hyena Records.
More info and free music at www.jfjo.com
“A breadth and vision nearly untouched in modern jazz except by the likes of Wayne Shorter and Bill Frisell.” - Signal to Noise
“It swings, it sways, but the jazz trio form in their hands has an almost primitive, inside-your-head, idiosyncratic quality to it that suggests the three are truly one.” �” Downbeat Magazine
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey weave the kind of impressionistic, imaginative new jazz that shatters any kind of identity, much less categories and classifications.” -Chicago Sun Times
“With Haas' multithreat of Fender Rhodes electric and traditional acoustic piano, melodica and keyboards and Mathis ready to play cello, six string guitar or bass with effects pedals, JFJO can sound like several different musical units.” - DOWNBEAT Magazine
“In my humble opinion, one of the most fascinating trios currently walking around on God's green earth.” - SlagwerkKrant (Netherlands)
“If JFJO isn't moving jazz forward, it is shifting its center of gravity interestingly askew.” - JazzTimes
“Hipper than MMW, louder than The Bad Plus, wider-ranging than just about any other jazz piano trio, these guys have taken some giant steps to the forefront of modern jazz.” - Practical.org
