Deep Banana Blackout
Encyclopedia
Deep Banana Blackout is a New Orleans style Jazz-funk
band from Fairfield County, Connecticut
. Formed in the summer of 1995 when members of two bands ("Tongue & Groove" from Connecticut
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. The band soon became a highly acclaimed musical force on the East Coast
underground Jazz
and jam band
scene. This eight piece musical outfit, with full horn section
, was notorious for performing musical compositions ranging from Tower of Power
, Sly and the Family Stone esq. to the likes of Funkadelic
.
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. 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 the club 7 Willow St. in Port Chester
, New York
. Later on that year, 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 1999 drummer
Eric Kalb and percussion
inst Johnny Durkin went to work on jazz legend John Scofield's
latest verve
release Bump
. The album was featured on Billboard
jazz charts and pays homage to DBB through the title track (after DBB original tune "Bump & Sway"), and the track "blackout", which features a rhythmic refrain imitative of an audience chant typical of DBB's live shows preceding the encore.
Deep Banana Blackout has sold out such venues as the Webster Theater
in Hartford, Connecticut
(1200 capacity) and Irving Plaza
in New York City
(1100 capacity). 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 JazzTimes
. In 2001, DBB played a co-bill with Maceo Parker
in the new Denver Fillmore
to 2750 fans, was featured at events such as Jazz Aspen/Snowmass
, and the Gathering of the Vibes
, toured with the Allman Brothers Band, and performed in Japan
as well. In 2000, lead vocalist Jen Durkin left the band and was replaced by vocalist/sax
player Hope Clayburn. Durkin briefly toured with Bernie Worrell
(of Parliament
) and The Woo Warriors and became a member of the newly formed band The Bomb Squad (not to be confused w/ the rap producers). The Bomb Squad opened for DBB occasionally, and Durkin performed with them when their paths crossed.
Because the band was reluctant to sign with a large record label, fearing that artistic expression would be undermined by terms and conditions stated within a contract, they disbanded in 2003 for financial reasons. All four DBB albums were locally produced and distributed, with Live in the Thousand Islands selling well over 5,000 copies. In March 2005 and 2006, DBB played reunion-style shows to celebrate St. Patrick's Day weekend. Most recently, the band played at Toad's Place
in New Haven, Connecticut
, where a home-town presence was felt- seeing as the majority of the band members are from Fairfield
, Bridgeport
, and New Haven
, Connecticut
. The Bowery Ballroom
in New York City
along with various venues in Boston have hosted DBB recently as the main musical attraction.
Deep Banana Blackout performed at Gathering of the Vibes
music festival
in Bridgeport, Connecticut
from 2007 to 2011.
DBB were James “Fuzz” San Giovanni, guitar
/vocals; Eric Kalb, drums; Benj LeFevre, bass
; Jen Durkin, vocals; Rob Somerville, sax/vocals; Rob Volo, trombone
/guitar/vocals; Cyrus Madan, keyboards
; Johnny Durkin, percussion. Previous members Hope Clayburn, sax/flute
/ vocals, and Bryan Smith, trombone/vocals.
Rowdy Duty (November 8, 2000)
Feel the Peel (July 17, 2001)
Release the Grease [Live] (June 25, 2002)
Jazz-funk
Jazz-funk is a sub-genre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat , electrified sounds, and often, the presence of the first electronic analog synthesizers...
band from Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
. Formed in the summer of 1995 when members of two bands ("Tongue & Groove" from Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and "Pack of Matches" from Long Island, NY) joined forces in their spare time to run through old Funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
& Soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
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. The band soon became a highly acclaimed musical force on the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
underground Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and jam band
Jam band
-Ambiguity:By the late 1990s use of the term jam band also became ambiguous. An editorial at jamband.com suggested that any band of which a primary band such as Phish has done a cover of be included as jam band. The example was including New York post-punk band Talking Heads after Phish performed...
scene. This eight piece musical outfit, with full horn section
Horn section
In music, a horn section can refer to several groups of musicians. It can refer to the musicians in a symphony orchestra who play the horn . In a British-style brass band it refers to the tenor horn players. In popular music, it can also refer to a small group of wind instrumentalists who augment a...
, was notorious for performing musical compositions ranging from Tower of Power
Tower of Power
Tower of Power is an American R&B-based horn section and band, originating in Oakland, California, that has been performing for over 43 years. They are best known for their funky soul sound highlighted by a powerful horn section...
, Sly and the Family Stone esq. to the likes of Funkadelic
Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
.
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
Colt's Manufacturing Company
Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...
building and was produced by the band members themselves. In February of 1999, Deep Banana Blackout released their second recording, a double
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
live CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
called Rowdy Duty. The album was recorded in one night at the club 7 Willow St. in Port Chester
Port Chester, New York
Port Chester is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The village is part of the town of Rye. As of the 2010 census, Port Chester had a population of 28,967...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Later on that year, the band's label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Artkin Touchya Records released B'Gock!, a side project for DBB's guitarist Fuzz and his band "On the Corner w/ Fuzz." Also in 1999 drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Eric Kalb and percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
inst Johnny Durkin went to work on jazz legend John Scofield's
John Scofield
John Scofield , often referred to as "Sco," is an American jazz guitarist and composer, who has played and collaborated with Miles Davis, Dave Liebman, Joe Henderson, Charles Mingus, Joey Defrancesco, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, Pat Martino, Mavis Staples, Phil Lesh, Billy Cobham,...
latest verve
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
release Bump
Bump (album)
Bump is an experimental Jazz fusion album by John Scofield. It was released on March 14, 2000 by Verve Records. The album was produced by Lee Townsend and recorded & mixed by Joe Ferla and Kevin Killen, executive producer was Susan Scofield.-Track listing:...
. The album was featured on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
jazz charts and pays homage to DBB through the title track (after DBB original tune "Bump & Sway"), and the track "blackout", which features a rhythmic refrain imitative of an audience chant typical of DBB's live shows preceding the encore.
Deep Banana Blackout has sold out such venues as the Webster Theater
Webster Theater
The Webster Theater is a music venue in the South end of Hartford, Connecticut. The Webster Underground is an attached smaller venue, which usually acts as a second stage during concerts on the main stage.-History:...
in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
(1200 capacity) and Irving Plaza
Irving Plaza
Irving Plaza is a 1,200-person ballroom-style music venue at 17 Irving Place and East 15th Street in the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(1100 capacity). They were featured at the Newport Jazz Festival
Newport Jazz Festival
The Newport Jazz Festival is a music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. It was established in 1954 by socialite Elaine Lorillard, who, together with husband Louis Lorillard, financed the festival for many years. The couple hired jazz impresario George Wein to organize the...
in the summer of 2000, as well as being the focal point of a feature article in JazzTimes
JazzTimes
JazzTimes is a magazine that dates back to Radio Free Jazz, a publication founded in 1970 by Ira Sabin when he was operating a record store in Washington, DC. It was originally a newsletter designed to update shoppers on the latest jazz releases and provide jazz radio programmers with a means of...
. In 2001, DBB played a co-bill with Maceo Parker
Maceo Parker
Maceo Parker is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, as well as Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of Brown's hit recordings, and a key part of his band, playing alto, tenor and baritone saxophones...
in the new Denver Fillmore
Fillmore Auditorium (Denver, Colorado)
The Fillmore Auditorium is a concert venue located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Denver, Colorado. Since opening in 1907, the venue has hosted numerous functions both private and public...
to 2750 fans, was featured at events such as Jazz Aspen/Snowmass
Aspen/Snowmass
Aspen/Snowmass is an expansive winter resort complex located in Pitkin County in western Colorado in the United States. Owned and operated by the Aspen Skiing Company it comprises four skiing/snowboarding areas on four adjacent mountains in the vicinity of the towns of Aspen and Snowmass Village...
, and the Gathering of the Vibes
Gathering of the Vibes
Gathering of the Vibes is an annual four-day music, camping and arts festival that celebrates the Grateful Dead & showcases a very diverse variety of music. Over the course of the event, styles often include; Funk, Bluegrass, Rock, Jam Band, Jazz, Reggae, R&B & Folk music. Since 1996, GOTV has...
, toured with the Allman Brothers Band, and performed in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as well. In 2000, lead vocalist Jen Durkin left the band and was replaced by vocalist/sax
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
player Hope Clayburn. Durkin briefly toured with Bernie Worrell
Bernie Worrell
George Bernard "Bernie" Worrell, Jr. is an American keyboardist and composer best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic...
(of Parliament
Parliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
) and The Woo Warriors and became a member of the newly formed band The Bomb Squad (not to be confused w/ the rap producers). The Bomb Squad opened for DBB occasionally, and Durkin performed with them when their paths crossed.
Because the band was reluctant to sign with a large record label, fearing that artistic expression would be undermined by terms and conditions stated within a contract, they disbanded in 2003 for financial reasons. All four DBB albums were locally produced and distributed, with Live in the Thousand Islands selling well over 5,000 copies. In March 2005 and 2006, DBB played reunion-style shows to celebrate St. Patrick's Day weekend. Most recently, the band played at Toad's Place
Toad's Place
Toad's Place is a concert venue and nightclub in New Haven, Connecticut, with two other short lived locations in Waterbury, CT and Richmond, VA.-History:...
in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, where a home-town presence was felt- seeing as the majority of the band members are from Fairfield
Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
, Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
, and New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. The Bowery Ballroom
Bowery Ballroom
The Bowery Ballroom is a music venue in the Bowery section of New York City. The structure, at 6 Delancey Street, was built just before the Stock Market Crash of 1929. It stood vacant until the end of WWII, when it became a high-end retail store. The neighborhood subsequently went into decline...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
along with various venues in Boston have hosted DBB recently as the main musical attraction.
Deep Banana Blackout performed at Gathering of the Vibes
Gathering of the Vibes
Gathering of the Vibes is an annual four-day music, camping and arts festival that celebrates the Grateful Dead & showcases a very diverse variety of music. Over the course of the event, styles often include; Funk, Bluegrass, Rock, Jam Band, Jazz, Reggae, R&B & Folk music. Since 1996, GOTV has...
music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
in Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
from 2007 to 2011.
DBB were James “Fuzz” San Giovanni, guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
/vocals; Eric Kalb, drums; Benj LeFevre, bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
; Jen Durkin, vocals; Rob Somerville, sax/vocals; Rob Volo, trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
/guitar/vocals; Cyrus Madan, keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
; Johnny Durkin, percussion. Previous members Hope Clayburn, sax/flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
/ vocals, and Bryan Smith, trombone/vocals.
Discography
Live in the Thousand Islands (1997)Rowdy Duty (November 8, 2000)
Feel the Peel (July 17, 2001)
Release the Grease [Live] (June 25, 2002)
External links
- Deep Banana Blackout collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive