Exercising the Demons

Big Fuzz (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 8, 2000)
• Original Release Date: November 15, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Artkin Touchya Records
• ASIN: B0000541QX
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #421,915 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Fuzzy Logic

2. Good For Nothin'

3. B'Gock!

4. Seven Come Eleven

5. The Me Variaions

6. Old Smoother

7. Four on Six

8. Too Bad

9. Chupa Chupa

10. Scratch 'n' Sniff

11. Bloomdido

12. 11:47 p.m.

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Deep Banana Blackout has become one of the most successful acts to come out of the Northeast in more than a decade. In the last year alone, they played over two hundred shows nationwide. From soul, funk and jazz to latin, metal and psychedelia, their diverse sound combines elements of the many influences that the band has acquired over the years.

Deep Banana Blackout formed in the summer of 1995 when members of two bands ("Tongue & Groove" from CT. and "Pack of Matches" from Long Island, NY) joined forces in their spare time to run through old Funk & Soul standards. As the band members' chemistry became apparent, all other projects fell by the wayside so that they could focus on writing and arranging material for what had become Deep Banana Blackout.

In July of 1997, DBB released their first studio effort entitled Live in the Thousand Islands. The album was recorded in Hartford, CT in the old Colt.45 building and was produced by the band members themselves. The sound spans many genre, each of them dance-inducing.

In February of 1999, Deep Banana Blackout released their second recording, a double live CD called Rowdy Duty. The album was recorded in one night at 7 Willow St. in Port Chester, NY. The disc showcases the band’s energetic live performance and ability to improvise as well as their songwriting skills.

In 1999, the band's label Artkin Touchya Records released B'Gock!, a side project for DBB's guitarist Fuzz and his band "On the Corner w/ Fuzz" Also in '99 Drummer Eric Kalb and percussioninst Johnny Durkin went to work on jazz legend John Scofield's latest Verve release Bump. The album was featured on Billboard jazz charts and helped introduce DBB to a whole new (and appreciative!) jazz market. They were featured at the Newport Jazz Festival in the summer of 2000, as well as being the focal point of a feature article in Jazz Times.

From Irving Plaza in NYC to the Great American Music Hall in San Fransisco to Howlin' Wolf in New Orleans, Deep Banana Blackout has shown their undeniably addictive show to sold-out clubs and theaters nationwide. Their incessant touring and marathon shows prove that this is a band that loves what they do.

All of these accomplishments could not happen without the DBB core audience, known as "the Funk Mob". They are a group of dedicated fans that will travel wherever the band is to help spread the energy that the band conveys. DBB currently has a nationwide mailing list of over 10,000 names. The band has become a "homegrown" success story, doing all of their business from their in-house production company. All business management, publicity, promotions, distribution and merchandising are handled by the full time staff and volunteers that work out of the band's Fairfield County, CT. office.

In the fall of 2000, the band underwent a few changes, and continues to offer an eclectic and exciting sound, by adding Hope Clayburn on alto sax, flute and vocals and Bryan Smith on trombone. The rest of the band consists of Fuzz on guitar & vocals, Rob Somerville on tenor and soprano sax & vocals, Benj LeFevre on bass, Cyrus Madan on organ, Johnny Durkin on percussion and Eric Kalb on drums. Deep Banana Blackout offers a powerful sound that is the sum of it's parts as well as showcasing each member's individual talent.

Deep Banana Blackout is on a mission to create and perform music which makes the band and audience collapse in a sweaty, exhausted heap of ecstatic bliss.

Product Description

Deep Banana Blackout and Artkin Touchya Records are excited to announce the release of B’Gock, a CD by Deep Banana Blackout’s guitar player Fuzz and his side project “On the Corner w/ Fuzz”, which features bassist Dave Shuman (who engineered both of Deep Banana Blackout’s CD’s ) and drummer Marc Balling. The disc is available in stores now.

The album also features guest appearances by Michael Ray (trumpet, Kool & the Gang, Sun Ra Arkestra, Cosmic Krewe), DJ Logic (turntables, Medeski Martin & Wood, Project Logic), Rob Somerville and Rob Volo (saxophone and trombone, DBB), Nate Wilson (Keys, Percy Hill), Cy Madan (Keys, DBB) and guest vocalists Jen Durkin (DBB) and Dean Bowman (Screaming Headless Torsos, Soul Trilogy).

The eclectic group of musicians have created a sound that ranges from jazz to funk, with a taste of hip-hop, and a bit of psychedelic madness. Of course there is the flavor of Banana, as the CD features a “bunch” of DBB’s members, yet the disc offers something a little different than DBB’s throw-down party atmosphere. Says Fuzz, “It was an opportunity for me to experiment with new musical arrangements, to play some of the standards that have influenced me over the years, and at the same time bring together some of the friends we’ve made over the last few years

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars In like a lion..., January 11, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Exercising the Demons (Audio CD)

Although this is listed here as a DBB release, it is in fact a Fuzz "solo" project. What you have here is a very funky jazz album with DBB's Rob Volo (trombone) and Rob Somerville (sax) alongside Michael (how can you go wrong?) Ray tootin' his own horn, blended with some occasionally searing guitar work compliments of guitarist extraordinaire Fuzz, and DJ Logic putting his own inimitable spin on the groove. Don't expect to hear Jen Durkin's wailing syrup pipes (now with Bernie Worrell's Woo Warriors); there are no real vocals here to speak of with the exception of a few refrains. If you already own Rowdy Duty and are hungering for more of DBB's low down gritty funk, Live In The Thousand Islands is available through the Home Grown site (homegrownmusic.net). If you're expecting a sound comparable to that of bands like The Greyboy Allstars, Galactic, or Ulu, this for the most part has a less jammin', more traditional, jazzy flavor (with plenty of exceptional exceptions). Although it fizzles out a bit ending with the less-inspired "11:47 p.m." (to let you know it's bedtime I suppose?...sorry Dave, everyone's a critic...); any "mobster" should not be disappointed with this overall very solid effort.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best funk crossover albums around..., September 6, 2001

By 

W. Bumgarner "bbum" (Cupertino, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Exercising the Demons (Audio CD)

This album has its foundations deep in funk, but successfully mixes in elements of jazz, rock, and even a bit of techno/hip-hop. Combining amazing guitar work with a huge guest list of top notch performers from all fields, the album renders an excellent plate full of great jams.

A lot of the songs are fairly tongue in cheek... however, always in a good way.

Its just a damned fun, damned fine album!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fuzz: dropping mad science, November 12, 2000

By 

thc (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Exercising the Demons (Audio CD)

talented guitarist of funk project deep banana blackout, fuzz, manages to pull together some real jazz and funk talent on his first solo record. contributors include dj logic and members of dbb. the sound is jazz here primarily, with 4 standards covered. some songs tend towards the funk side of jazz, some are straightforward. either way, fuzz shows his studio and songwriting genius on tracks like fuzzy logic and the classic b'gock. this is just one of the best albums i've heard in the past few years. definitely buy it and wear it out while partying, reading in your room or driving around. it's one of those albums that can fit multiple moods - a sign of real greatness. thanks fuzzy