Meet Gideon King, the musical visionary behind jazz-rock fusion project City Blog, a sort of 2016 update of King's greatest instrumental inspiration, Steely Dan. While helming the group on lead guitar, King's assembled a diverse collective of accomplished musicians from around the world who enter and exit both the studio and his songs with chill-yet-virtuosic ease.
Musicians include James Genus and Matt Penman on upright bass, Kevin Hays on piano, Willard Dyson and Donald Edwards on drums, Donny Mccaslin on sax and flute, and Andy Gravis on Trumpet. Vocalists include Grace Weber, Marc Broussard, Elliott Skinner, Saul Kurtz, Carolyn Leonhart, and Matt Powell.
Together they create some of the most complex and satisfying music you may ever hear, layered with impressive solos, variegated chord progressions, and ever-entertaining lyrics. Just listen:
"City Blog," the lead track on the project's 2015 self-titled debut album, launches the LP straight for the stars, and the tunes that follow are no let-down. "See in Double" plays like a Steely Dan track infused with the soothing melodies and lyrics of a Simon and Garfunkel song. "Glide" melts on listeners' ears, telling the all-too-familiar tale of the one that got away with a refreshing, jazzy mix of whimsy and edge.
Both "Friendship Cliché" and "Dirty Bastard" (my favorite track on the album) feature truly biting lyrics, which, when paired with mellow jazz-rock, make for unforgettable tunes. Just imagine these lines from "Friendship Cliché" ringing over something similar to the musical stylings featured above:
I'm making a getaway from friendly fire/
Friendship cliché, smile for hire/
People love each other, they say 'xoxo'/
Please look up on Google how to go to hell/
Oooo, hell/
I'll call you once a year...
Or don't imagine, hear it for yourself. City Blog's next album won't be available for another year, but you can follow their recording progress on their Facebook page.
For more on the musicians featured on City Blog and the process of making the album, check out these videos from their YouTube channel.