colors of tyme
J.D. AND THE SONS OF RHYTHM

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collective improvisation direct-to-disc

colors of tyme = music in its natural state

Baker's Dozen in Double Albums
Colors of Tyme Album Number 13!

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Well, it's been a few years for J.D. and the Sons of Rhythm, but the band still have music to give. Colors of Tyme brings fourteen new tracks to the table, all from the later sessions at Midtown. The music mixes Funk and World-Beat grooves, with flavors of Latin, Afro-Caribean, Samba, Soka, and the occassional odd-time rhythm pattern.

The later sessions included a cast of regulars. In addition to drummers J.D. Hopkins and his two sons, Rickie and Jayson, guitarists Frank Singer and Mike Ohm are present throughout, with Singer switching to keyboards and bass on some of the tracks. These five musicians have played together in this project on every Album to date.

The revolving bass chair is also filled by Ralph Reitinger (4 Albums,) Tony Stefanelli (10 Albums,) David Blaetz (8 Albums,) and Kenny Cornelius (10 Albums.) Joining in on percussion is Joel Polacci (6 Albums,) Tito Ronzitti and Joe Dorris (Moving Through The Elements,) and Preach Freedom (Astral Worlds, Near Journey's End.) Guitarist Sheldon Peterson (10 Albums,) and saxophonist Phil Papotnik (5 Albums) complete the ensemble.

All of these musicians are veterans of this project, and play together in all measure of situations. Every style of music is represented in these bands, which include Cat's A Bear, Ahimsa Beat Potato Battery, One World Tribe, 3bop, Starfish, Weirdo Theater, Valerie Horton Brown Project, and any number of side-projects, free-lance gigs, and recordings.

All this is to say that the music gels for a reason. There is experience of the jam, of each other, and of music itself. This familiarity enhances the process of spontaneous creation, allowing players to guage the direction the music is taking and add their input in a musical way.

This freedom is not anarchy. The concentrated listening that these musicians must do to produce this music is tempered by the years of performance experience they share. Knowing innately the effects music has on the listener colors their instincts and judgement which gives the music coherence.

In short, it grooves as it moves.

Hear the accomplishment for yourself on COLORS OF TYME from JD and the Sons of Rhythm.

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Play*By*Play

Track 1
House Party
(4/4 Bluesy Funk) 12:04
     Frank Singer.....Keyboards / Guitar-Synth (tbn)
     Mike Ohm.....Guitar
     Sheldon Peterson.....Guitar
     Phil Papotnik.....Tenor Sax
     Ralph Reitinger.....Bass
     Joel Pollaci.....Percussion
     Rickie Hopkins.....Drums
     J.D. Hopkins.....V-Drums

Mike and Sheldon start with the rhythm section, creating the musical texture. Frank and Phil exchange motifs and phrases, then Frank moves to guitar-synth with a trombone sound. After more exchanges, Phil continues soloing while Frank returns to the keyboards. Phil passes the solo to Mike, then returns for more exchange. The music intensifies, then dissolves.

Track 2
River Music
(4/4 Afro-Caribean) 7:31
     Frank Singer.....Keyboards (marimba)
     Mike Ohm.....Guitar
     Phil Papotnik.....Soprano Sax
     Tito Ronzitti.....Percussion
     Joe Dorris.....Percussion
     Jayson Hopkins.....Electronic Percussion
     Rickie Hopkins.....Drums
     J.D. Hopkins.....V-Drums

The rhythm section starts, with Mike adding swelled ethereal harmonies. Frank enters on keyboards with a marimba sound, followed quickly by Phil on soprano, who begins to solo. When Phil lays out, Mike assumes the solo role until Phil re-enters and resumes the lead. Mike and Phil begin to exchange dialog as Frank begins energetic runs that inspire variations in the exchange. As the music draws to a close, Tito takes it out on the congas.

Track 3
Deep Sorrow
(5/4 Funk / 4/4 Funk three sections total) 17:19
     Frank Singer.....Keys (el pi, clav, pi)/Guit
     Mike Ohm.....Guitar
     Sheldon Peterson.....Guitar
     Phil Papotnik.....Tenor Sax / Clarinet
     Ralph Reitinger.....Bass
     Joel Pollaci.....Percussion
     Rickie Hopkins.....Drums
     J.D. Hopkins.....V-Drums

     "That is twisted.
     There has never been another song like that in the Universe."
          - me

Mike provides arpeggiated guitar chords over a free rhythm-and-bass texture, as Sheldon provides a bluesy lead and Frank weaves electric piano lines through the ensemble. Phil adds tenor long-tones as JD begins to play a 5/4 groove on electronic drum kit. Sheldon continues long lines over the top while Frank becomes more harmonic. Mike begins a syncopated rhythm guitar groove, exiting and returning over time. Ralph and Rickie begin a hard groove in 4/4 time, which takes over the primary rhythm feel. Frank switches to a keyboard clavinet sound as Mike solos with a lead sound and Sheldon provides a funky backdrop. After an extended solo by Mike, Phil heralds a transition with punctuated high notes. Time frees up as the ensemble takes on a Harmelodic air. JD brings in a new 4/4 groove under the free-jazz, with Mike and Sheldon playing some vintage Potato Battery-style textural rhythm. Ralph begins a synth-bass line as Frank solos above. As Frank winds down the extended guitar solo, Phil begins riffing on clarinet, moving to solo as the texture thins. Over time, ensemble playing resumes, as Frank returns to electric piano, and Mike enters with guitar-synth. Out of a section of intensity, the music breaks, and the piano, clarinet, guitar and bass begin a chase section that ends abruptly with Ralph's bass line leading the group into the cut.

Track 4
Ebb and Flow
(4/4 soka / latin / samba / funk) 10:50
     Frank Singer.....Guit, Guit-Syn(el pi-guit mix)
     Mike Ohm.....Guitar
     Tony Stefanelli.....Bass
     Joel Pollaci.....Percussion
     Rickie Hopkins.....Drums
     J.D. Hopkins.....V-Drums

The ensemble fades into a chaotic free-jazz texture with Harmonic guitar explosions from Mike and snapping bass notes from Tony, while JD, Joel and Rickie provide angular spikes of percussion. Frank joins in, playing polytonal melodies over quartal harmony with a combined guitar- and guitar-synth (electric piano) sound. Free-time patches of musical color become a funk-driven soka as Mike brings in a flanged guitar rhythm and wah-effect and Tony adds some bass fills. The music gradually moves to a samba feel as Frank moves to a single-line solo, increases the intensity, and then returns to a more harmonic texture. Mike solos with a wah-wah effect on guitar while Frank plays rhythmic harmony. After an extended solo, Mike returns to rhythm while Tony takes a bass solo. Tony's solo ends on a pedal tone as Frank returns on guitar-harmony. Rickie rolls into a more intense groove as Mike solos over the latin-rock groove, which breaks into a light cadenza from Frank as the music fades.

Track 5
Mellow
(4/4 slow funk) 6:59
     Frank Singer.....Guit-Syn(ac nylon-guit mix)
     Mike Ohm.....Guitar
     Sheldon Peterson.....Guitar
     Ralph Reitinger.....Bass
     Jayson Hopkins.....Electronic Percussion
     Rickie Hopkins.....Drums
     J.D. Hopkins.....V-Drums

JD, Rickie, Jayson and Ralph lay down a sparse funk feel while Frank plays a self-accompanied solo on guitar. Mike and Sheldon add harmonic flavorings and linear echoes. Frank moves to comping as Mike plays melodic lines and solos. Rickie and Ralph build into a more defined groove. Dissonance is interjected. Mike sweetens the sound on top with melodic lines. Frank returns for some soloing on guitar as the groove slowly disperses on Mike's delayed tones.

Track 6
Phil's Lament
(6/8 latin) 7:26
     Frank Singer.....Bass
     Sheldon Peterson.....Guitar
     Phil Papotnik.....Soprano Sax
     Tito Ronzitti.....Percussion
     Joe Dorris.....Percussion
     Jayson Hopkins.....Electronic Percussion
     Rickie Hopkins.....Drums
     J.D. Hopkins.....V-Drums

A larger percussion section with JD, Jayson and Rickie at their usual posts, joined by Tito on congas and Joe D. on hand-percussion, begins with a sparse 6/8 latin feel. Frank adds bass early on, and soon Phil begins melodic soprano sax themes over the groove. Sheldon fades in with harmonic fills after a time, as Tito leads the percussion section. Sheldon takes over as Phil lays out, lightly bending and blending tones until Phil returns. A dialogue of lines between Phil and Sheldon continues for a while as Tito interjects. Frank plays a very brief solo before Phil and Sheldon trade phrases and Sheldon returns to rhythm for the final sax solo and fade.

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Track 7
Hop, Skip and Jump
(4/4 tribal groove) 7:43
     Frank Singer.....Keyboards (marimba)
     Mike Ohm.....Guitar
     Sheldon Peterson.....Guitar
     Ralph Reitinger.....Bass
     Jayson Hopkins.....Electronic Percussion
     Rickie Hopkins.....Drums
     J.D. Hopkins.....V-Drums

The music fades in with JD, Rickie, Jayson on percussion and Mike swelling chords in fifths. Frank's keyboard marimba and Sheldon's bluesy guitar enter soon, while Ralph lightly adds a pedal-point bass tone. Sheldon begins to solo, moving to a signature lick that kick-starts the groove. Rickie down-shifts and ups the intensity on the traps as Ralph leads the harmony from below. Sheldon's solo gradually returns to the theme and lets the music play for a moment. Mike then begins variations on the theme which transform into a solo in blues feel. As Mike's solo fades, keyboard marimba threads through the texture into the lead with some double- and triple-time riffs and lines. Ralph funks the cadence of Frank's solo, then Mike's soaring lead sound steps forward while Sheldon begins adding a funkier wah sound as the music fades.

Track 8
Abstraction
(4/4 world-beat groove / straight jam) 13:27
     Frank Singer.....Guitar-Synth (vln), Guitar
     Sheldon Peterson.....Guitar
     Phil Papotnik.....Tenor Sax
     Tito Ronzitti.....Percussion
     Joe Dorris.....Percussion
     Jayson Hopkins.....Electronic Percussion
     Rickie Hopkins.....Drums
     J.D. Hopkins.....V-Drums

The Sons of Rhythm gain some extended family as Jayson and JD are joined by Joe Dorris and Tito. JD sets up a tribal feel and the percussionists fall in. As the beat gels, Rickie fires up the time on the trap set. Frank chimes in with the first melody with a violin sound on guitar-synth, followed quickly by Sheldon's harmonic guitar and Phil's tenor sax long-tones. As the violin sounds double-stops, the sax plays long-notes in response to lyrical guitar melodies. The three carry forward harmelodically as the time frees up. Tito gradually sets up a conga groove; Jayson falls in, and the sax & violin play over more harmonic guitar. Rickie begins darting in and out of the time with dynamic flourishes and crescendos, exploring the melodic potential of a drum kit. After this continues for a while, Sheldon cadences into a more spacious feel as a groove-variant emerges. Frank moves to clean guitar sound and begins to play lines over this fragmented texture. Phil rejoins Sheldon in a harmonic backdrop as Frank takes the lead, switching to a distorted sound as the energy level intensifies. Sheldon's Amen Cadence serves as a harmonic backdrop for Frank's melodic variations above, momentarily reminiscent of the Allman Brothers. As Frank descends in pitch to a more rhythmic part, the music resumes its original looseness; then dissapates into a rubato cadence, then silence.

Track 9
Night Owls
(4/4 medium funk) 5:07
     Frank Singer.....Guit-Syn/Guit Mix(syn/distort)
     Mike Ohm.....Guitar
     David Blaetz.....Bass
     Preach Freedom.....Percussion (congas)
     Jayson Hopkins.....Electronic Percussion
     Rickie Hopkins.....Drums
     J.D. Hopkins.....V-Drums

JD sets up a linear "3-3-2" groove on electronic drums, with Jayson chiming in with an electronic laugh from his digital drum kit. Rickie, Preach and Dave join in on rhythm and bass as Frank begins an extended solo on a combination guitar/synthesizer sound. Mike adds warm guitar chords in 4ths, 2nds, and conventional voicings. The band lays it down as Frank develops extended ideas and sonic distortion, closing on a rubato chord with a harmonic.

Track 10
Catch Up
(4/4 house-funk groove) 7:41
     Frank Singer.....Keyboards
     Mike Ohm.....Guitar
     Tony Stefanelli.....Bass
     Jayson Hopkins.....Percussion
     Rickie Hopkins.....Drums
     J.D. Hopkins.....V-Drums
     Joel Polacci*.....Congas
     *Joel NOT LISTED on Album COVER

The Hopkins trio and Joel on congas begin an open world-beat groove, with added bass harmonics. A key/string chord brings Mike in on rhythm and Tony on bassline. The keys take the theme, with a repeating Mixolydian harmony loop. The rhythm guitar gets funky while the keys begin thematic developments and solos. After sharping the eleventh, Mike plays a funky solo and takes it into the fade.

Track 11
Ride the Rails
(4/4 3-3-2 tribal groove) 12:34
     Frank Singer.....G-Syn(tbn,nylon)/G(mix:brief)
     Mike Ohm.....Guitar
     Sheldon Peterson.....Guitar
     Kenny Cornelius.....Bass
     Joel Pollaci.....Percussion
     Jayson Hopkins.....Electronic Percussion
     Rickie Hopkins.....Drums
     J.D. Hopkins.....V-Drums

Rolling free-time percussion underscores a guitar-trio dialogue as Mike (R), Frank (C), and Shel (L) each take point, with a sudden cut in dynamics heralding the entrance of Frank's trombone sound. Mike echoes Sheldon's rhythm as Frank solos on bone-sound over a funky groove solidified by Kenny's pocket with Rickie. J.D. and Jayson provide a tribal feel underneath, with Jayson's usual brilliant sound-effects. Another abrupt but subtle break triggers the end of Frank's solo, with some snappin' bass giving way to Mike's distorted lead sound as Frank vacates the middle. Time feels come and go as JD begins the tribal feel again. Mike moves out front again supported by Sheldon's echos and Frank's trilling whole notes. Kenny leads the band out of the free time as Frank on distorted-guitar dialogues with Mike. More bird-like pick scraping returns to the 3 guitar panarama. Frank moves to nylon-guitar sound as Mike gets distant and regal and Sheldon takes over the bird calls. Ken plays chase with Frank as the birds get thicker into the fade. Four funk notes and a seagull sound from Mike bring closure.

Track 12
Searchin' For A Clue
(7/4, 4/4) 6:05
     Frank Singer.....Guitar (clean)
     Mike Ohm.....Guitar
     Sheldon Peterson.....Guitar (wah)
     Ralph Reitinger.....Bass
     Rickie Hopkins.....Drums
     Jayson Hopkins.....Electronic Percussion
     J.D. Hopkins.....V-Drums

A funky seven from J.D., Rickie and Jayson fades the track in, with Frank, Mike and Shel falling in collectively. They exchange as Ralph enters in four, riding the new groove. A series of chord chops flows into a bluesy funk groove, notching up the intensity. Three minutes in, Mike takes the front as Frank and Sheldon echo lines. Mike moves into a harmonic theme, creating tension before grooving into the fade.

Track 13
Deep Thought
(4/4 somber) 8:12
     Frank Singer.....Guitar-Synth (el pi)
     Mike Ohm.....Guitar
     Sheldon Peterson.....Guitar
     Phil Papotnik.....Soprano Sax
     Ralph Reitinger.....Bass
     Joel Pollaci.....Percussion
     Jayson Hopkins.....Electronic Percussion
     Rickie Hopkins.....Drums
     J.D. Hopkins.....V-Drums

Free-form splashes of harmonic color rise above rhythmic suggestions of pulse as the track fades into Frank's Guitar-Synth/El-Pi solo. Polytonal lines weave in between pillars of distorted guitar as sax sings long tones in reverb space. The rhythm begins to churn more as Rickie builds intensity. Frank's solo fades to rhythm as the texture continues. Phil leads multiple themes as the music forms into segments. Ralph drives the sound with octaves, as Phil's soprano rises above the fray. A series of chords from Sheldon pulls the thread of the time apart as the track resolves into a fade.

Track 14
Colors of Tyme
(some 4/4, free-time funk) 9:47
     Frank Singer.....Keyboards
     Mike Ohm.....Guitar
     David Blaetz.....Bass
     Jayson Hopkins.....Electronic Percussion
     Rickie Hopkins.....Drums
     J.D. Hopkins.....V-Drums

An altered-dominant droning signals the entrance of the last track, with rhythmic spashes echoed by the lush harmonic backdrop from Frank and Mike. Dave provides pedal point as Rickie begins a driven free-form funk groove suggesting multiple time signatures. Mike provides an ethereal melody above the explosive colors of the un-dampened tones. A keyboard solo emerges out of the texture, dancing in and out of pulses and harmonic centers, gelling for a while in a harder groove before flowing into a melodic guitar solo from Mike, with Dave playing a more aggressive funk line below. There is more flirting with conventional time, but syncopated rhythms quickly interrupt the four-pulse pattern. A cymbal roll signals a rhythmic cue from the keyboard, which leads to a final kick.

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COLORS OF TYME, 14 tracks of music.

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