Mike Shobe- trumpet,fx ::
Adam Strum- guitar ::
Maxfield Gast- sax, EWI ::
Benjamin Wright- bass ::
Ziv Ravitz- drums
Influences
Sounds Like
Often compared to Jimi Hendrix, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and Medeski, Martin & Wood, Wu Li’s unique and powerful psychedelic sound is generating a strong Internet presence and fans around the globe.
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Wu Li (pronounced Woo! Lee) is an extremely unique group out of Brooklyn, NY. While based on the fundamental concepts of song writing and improvisation, Wu Li draws from many different backgrounds and each member brings a different tradition. The result is a group that is as impressive as it is mysterious; a unit that travels freely between the world of melody and definition to one of fluidity and exploration.
Their self-titled debut record is set for release Summer 2008. The music is a balanced offering of catchy melody, danceable beats, great musicianship and a flair for the unexpected. The sound is genuine and it’s clear the band has a unique perspective to their art.
Inspired by the concepts of quantum physics, the group started out in 2007 to bring the party to the avant-jazz community in Brooklyn. They started playing at the Tea Lounge in Park Slope and quickly became a staple of the venue’s programming. Branching out to a year long residency at Bar 9 in Hell’s Kitchen and regular engagements at Mo Pitkin’s and the Crash Mansion, Wu Li has been building it’s crowd in New York one show at a time.
Coming from a musical family, Michael Shobe began experimenting with music as soon as soon as he could grasp a drumstick. Choosing the trumpet when he was eight, he quickly found that he had a passion for jazz. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area and spending summers with his Grandparents in Brazil exposed the young musician to many different styles of music. His influences are Miles Davis, Les Claypool, Led Zeppelin, Gary Zukav, Sai Baba and Jerry Garcia. Michael brings melody & harmony, improvisation, live loops and compositions to Wu Li.
They say that variety is the spice of life, and for Adam Strum, the maxim is wrought with more than its share of truth. Born to Bruce and Ronnie Strum, young Adam could not seem to escape the inevitable foreshadowing of the family's surname -- in 1982, at the tender age of 5, he picked up a guitar for the first time and hasn't put in down in the 26 years since. Adam's influences are diverse, ranging from the iconoclastic psychedelia of Jimi Hendrix and The Grateful Dead, to the subtler virtuosity of Frank Zappa and Grant Green. Adam brings melody & harmony, improvisation, compositions and sonic-structure to Wu Li.
From the City of Brotherly Love, Maxfield Gast spends his time composing, playing his instruments and riding his skateboard. While fine-tuning kick-flips during the day in Love Park, Maxfield has been integrating the music scene by night. With a strong foundation in jazz and improvisation, his curiosity led him to experiment in rock, soul and other eclectic music. Maxfield has expanded from the saxophone into the electronic world via the use of his EWI (electronic wind instrument) and continues to innovate this new sound with an arsenal of effects pedals and melodic phrasing. Maxfield brings melody, improvisation and sonic textures to Wu Li.
Music has always been a fun experience for Benjamin Wright. Growing up in upstate New York, he has always had a very positive association with music. His tastes are diverse and his compositions reflect his many interests. An avid listener of all good music, Ben enjoys being in the outdoors as much as being in the studio and complements explorations in both worlds with an active performing and teaching schedule. Ben brings foundation, composition and solidarity to Wu Li.
Ziv was born in Beer-Sheva, Israel to a family of musicians. He was drawn to music at an early age, playing the guitar and piano. When he was 9 years old he started focusing on drums and by the age of 13 began playing professionally at various clubs in and around Tel Aviv. The drummer moved to the U.S. in 2000 to grow as an artist and composer and has been a staple of the Boston and New York jazz scenes ever since. The young drummer tours all over the world with a variety of ensembles and is currently signed to ENJA Records. Ziv brings power, inspiration and the almighty beat to Wu Li.
Thanks! I'm working on a new project, not with the people on those recordings, but better people, crazy, odd time signature shit, I'm sure you'll dig it, keep the crazy sounds coming!
