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The Urban Renewal Project

The Urban Renewal Project has been kicking around the Pacific Coast for the better part of four years, using the instruments of a bygone era to create a signature sound that blurs the boundaries between pop, soul, jazz and hip-hop. The band's dynamic and multifarious live performances have captivated listeners and brought audiences to their feet in packed rooms from The House of Blues in LA to Rockwood Music Hall in NYC.

With the combined vocal talents of the jazz singing, trombone playing Aubrey Logan and freestyle rap virtuoso Elmer Demond, the URP is back with its sophomore release in Local Legend. The album's nine original tracks draw from a eclectic variety of styles—including R&B, swing, and West African highlife—while remaining unified by the melodic earworms and hip-shaking grooves that characterize the group's sound. Their debut release, Go Big or Go Home (2012), was called "one of the most exciting hybrid releases to come along in some time," and the follow-up takes it one step further. Local Legend will be available this September on Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, and everywhere else!

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Album Review

The Urban Renewal Project: Local Legend

Read "Local Legend" reviewed by Jack Bowers


If high spirits and good humor alone could carry the day, Local Legend, the second album by the California-based Urban Renewal Project, would earn five stars for candor and commitment. The group is comprised of talented musicians (twenty-seven in all) who believe in what they are doing and give every one of the album's nine numbers their best shot. On the other hand, the music ranges from pop and rap to funk, blues, R&B, soul and hip-hop, offering little in ...

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"It is truly amazing to see musicians who can play legitimate jazz and funk music in such a big way. Plenty of groups play hip hop with a jazz tone, but not like this. The talent and precision it takes to pull off a sound of such magnitude is beyond impressive." – Gerry Doot, LA Music Blog

"... if you had to choose a band to spend a day with, this is definitely the one you'd want to be around. The fun energy with this band can be heard on the music from their new CD, which blends a rich gumbo of jazz, pop, soul and hip-hop... there are tracks here that will provide the perfect upbeats for a great party." – Asha Brodie, Jazz Moods Radio

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Local Legend

Lombardy Records
2014

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