Thursday, January 25, 2018

JOY ON FIRE INVENT THE BLURRY BOP DRIVETRAIN—“HEY, HEY!”—THAT PEPPER ADAMS, THE STOOGES, AND GRADY MARTIN WOULD HAVE FORGED, HAD THEY EVER (IMPROBABLY!) CUT VINYL TOGETHER.

Joy On Fire perform “Hey, Hey!” live at 
The Crown, Baltimore, January 14, 2018.


Hard Rockin’ Trio

I had my bones blown backward by Joy On Fire when they shared the stage with the improvisational group I belong to, Heterodyne, at Baltimore’s famed music palace, An Die Musik, on January 11th of this annum. Three scant evenings later, they played their scorching piece, “Hey, Hey!”, a second time, as we shared the stage at The Crown. Let’s get a few things straight, straightaway: Joy On Fire swings HARD. It’s rather immediate, what they do, onstage. Try to categorize them, if you dare, but they are producing outstanding music that defies classification.

Call ‘em What?

Joy On Fire describe their sound as “punk-jazz / fuzz-rock.” Just imagine the baritone sax of Pepper Adams grinding away throughout the Mingus album Blues and Roots, and the implacable cascade of The Stooges as they crush “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” and the inventor of fuzz, one Grady Martin, and his guitar, playing “The Fuzz,” with chorus and orchestra, on Decca, 1961—all of this compressed into a present-day trio. “Hey, Hey!” builds, circles, honks, hammers, rings, and crunches something fierce. A magical moment transpires when Anna Meadors (bari sax) shouts “Hey, Hey!” after John Paul Carillo (guitar) and Chris Olsen (drums) return from a rest. Get it?




Fire with Fire

Their new album, Fire with Fire, is available from Procrastination Records. It unfolds as one cohesive document even as individual numbers distinguish themselves. Joy On Fire enmesh their considerable threads of influence. They demonstrate copious ensemble. We have always wanted to experience this music, but couldn’t demand it be played, because we couldn’t articulate it in advance. We must worship this band by driving up and down a sleepy street, windows unrolled, stereo full-throttle, scotching the complacent dreams of many good people.


More:
Joy On Fire web site 
Procrastination Records web site 


this post is part of a triple issue. 
Also see: Sarah Hughes
Also see: Heterodyne
  

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

true

Ted Zook said...

Wow -- I couldn't agree with you more, Dan; Joy on Fire is an inspiration and a revelation. They are great folks with whom it's a joy to share the stage, has they have with Heterodyne (https://the-heterodyne-project.tumblr.com/) and Sarah and the Truthseekers (https://sarah-and-the-truthseekers.tumblr.com/). All concerned look very much forward to sharing the stage with them again on February 25 at Baltimore's Holy Underground, March 22 at Batltimore's Paulie Gee's and March 25 at Arlington's Galaxy Hut.

DAN / DANIEL GUTSTEIN said...

dear anonymous:

casey?

are you casey?

agreed with "true."

thanks for the read.

---------------------------------ba

DAN / DANIEL GUTSTEIN said...

This spate of performances starting about a month from now are inspiration for sure, Ted. I hope to bring some new syllables to the table, but mostly I'm looking forward to hearing Heterodyne, Joy On Fire, and Sarah and the Truthseekers! (I too am a Truthseeker!)

----------BA

Ted Zook said...

Onward!

Unknown said...

Yes! I've struggled to describe the JOY ON FIRE sound for years, and probably because of that struggle, I've listened to and loved them unconditionally. "Hey, Hey" remains my favorite piece and lyrical simplicity is sometimes sublime--as it is here.

DAN / DANIEL GUTSTEIN said...

Hi Brian, Thanks for taking a look at this post and for your kind comment. It's funny, but I think we have a need (broadly, as people, or as people who love performing arts) to explain why we like something, and yet, sometimes the explanation can be -- it just gratifies me beyond words to hear this. Here, I've proposed a "love child" (of Pepper Adams, The Stooges, and Grady Martin) that never came into being -- or has it? Like you, I'm a fan unconditionally, and if anything, I admire you for knowing about Joy On Fire a lot longer -- hence, enjoying their music a lot longer -- than I have!

------------------B.A.