pianorag.

Bio:

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"A trio of young, talented multi-instrumentalists, pianorag combines bluegrass, jazz, funk, and myriad other genres into an innovative, organic and soulful blend called 'groovegrass'..." ~RELIX Magazine, Nov. 2006

"Pianorag...is good!" ~ LA WEEKLY

"...not a sound you hear everday...its freshness is welcoming. Pianorag are bound to put a smile on your face..." ~ WORLD RHYTHM webzine

"One day a long time ago, a hippie lay down with a jazzbo, and thus, Pianorag was born. This local instrumental trio – comprising a reed man, a banjo/guitar (but usually banjo) player and a mandolin/upright bassist – has the instrumentation of a bluegrass group and the funky improv of a jam band. Pianorag manages to locate the groove midway between the jazz club scene and the barn. No wanky displays of chops here, just loose, spacious jams with a sound that’s simultaneously old-timey and contemporary" ~ PrefixMag.com

"Pianorag takes precedence over Neil Diamond in my car CD player..." ~ Zacks mom

"I hate you and I wish I was You!" ~ confused, yet adoring fan of pianorag

It was a chance meeting at a hip-hop show in Los Angeles that brought the three young, talented, Santa Monica natives of pianorag together. Attending the same schools as young children, and essentially growing up together, the boys rediscovered each other when a casual conversation at a bar turned to music; it seems they all shared the same objective: Create something unique, experimental, and accessible- and do it with a pervasive and undeniable groove. The result was pianorag, and a style of music they like to call groovegrass. Despite their similar upbringings, the boys of pianorag appropriate their style from innumerable influences. Jacob Levy (saxophone) brings with him an intense love of jazz and an encyclopedic knowledge of music theory that he uses to craft profound melodies and masterful solos. A current student at Cal Arts and a passionate enthusiast of jazz, bluegrass, and American folk music, Paul Fuller (banjo) emerges as a virtuosic multi-instrumentalist whose degree of versatility is overshadowed only by his tastefulness with whatever instrument he may be playing. Rounding out the trio is Zack Smith (bass). An ethnomusicology student at UCLA, Zack is able to draw on his 10+ years as a percussionist along with a supreme love for soul, funk and world music to forge extraordinary and exceedingly syncopated bass lines. With an unlikely mix of genres, unorthodox instrumentation, a quiet confidence, and excellent posture, pianorag is able to step forward and attempt to collectively eradicate the norms and conventional practices of modern music today. .. ..

Member Since:

Members:

Paul ~ banjo/guitars

Zack ~ upright/mbira/pandeiro

Chris ~ drums/percussion

Influences:

Sounds Like: