Saturday night on Capitol Hill, the Seattle funk-jazz fusion group High Pulp performs their latest vocal collaborations EP Light Fix. They'll also plant another flag along their impressive journey to becoming one of the most intriguing improvisational outfits in the Northwest.
Neumo's will host High Pulp with their singing friends Shaina Shepherd, JusMoni and Falon Sierra March 7. The jazz-spiked future soul of DJ Stas Thee Boss will kick off the fun when the doors open at 8.
In keeping with the collaborative philosophy at the core of the High Pulp concept, each vocalist was sent a handful of raw audio ideas for the Light Fix EP. From there a dialogue developed, and the tunes emerged from that spark of inspiration. “It was pretty amazing how they all took what we gave them and just made it work so well,” drummer Rob Granfelt says. “They truly elevated it to a whole new level.”
Speaking of new levels, High Pulp also has just released their cover version of Alice Coltrane's beautiful "Journey in Satchidananda" on their Bandcamp page. It's the opening shot in the band's upcoming recording project, Mutual Attraction, Vol. 1. The series will explore the influences of past masters on this group of groove-based improvisors, including songs by spiritual jazz icons Pharoah Sanders and Sun Ra.
The road becons this month as High Pulp tours down the West Coast and as far east as Texas, returning to the Northwest in April with shows in Spokane, Vancouver, B.C., and Portland. They're also opening for Portland's "live electronic trio" Yak Attack at Tacoma's Spanish Ballroom Saturday, April 4.
A new relationship with the Portland-based Dutch Records will help High Pulp release and distribute their music to larger audiences, and Saturday night's show at Neumo's is the hometown kickoff show that's sure to launch this rocket of funk into the stratosphere. I hope to see you there!
The New Cool airs Saturdays from 3 to 5 p.m., hosted by Abe Beeson and produced by KNKX Public Radio in Seattle, Wash.
