Groundation
Kokoroko

Night

Groundation

The last album Candle Burning of the Californian collective “talks about the light which guides us, the inner fire which nourishes our lives and the energy which connects all things together”, according to the group's founder Harrison Stafford, who learnt jazz at Sonoma University where he also teaches the history of reggae. Groundation’s music is illuminated with light in its records and on stage, during generous concerts driven by a quiet and powerful spirit. For more than 25 years, the Californian band has evolved but its language, blending reggae roots and jazz, remains the same. The collective uses the stage as its real lab. Each concert is a distinctive experience: a constant dialogue between groove, improvisation and collective enthusiasm. On stage, the dense and free music circulates, just like shared human values. The leader, singer and guitarist, talks about a “spiritual conversation through music” as well as a “trance and a unity through sound”. He also refers to the harmony of reggae in the Rastafarian tradition, and the dialogue between musicians in the jazz universe. Genuine, intense and generous, Groundation is a particular band which will play at the Théâtre Antique.

Line-up :

Harrison Stafford (vocals)
Thamar Williams (backing vocals)
Kerri-Ann Lewis (backing vocals)
Roger Cox (saxophones)
Darren Johnston (trumpet)
Jeffrey Cressman (trombone)
Michael Vokes (guitar)
Paul Dangla Valls (keyboards)
Isaiah Palmer (bass)
Zachary Morillo (drums)

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Kokoroko

Some names become almost synonymous with a style, a movement or an era. About ten years ago, London regained its position as leading capital of jazz music thanks to its young scene, and Kokoroko is one of the names which come immediately to mind when talking about those British bands. This octet didn’t only define the new sound with a specific idea of large acoustic ensembles as well as the influence of the Fela Kuti’s afrobeat of the Nigerian highlife. But those eight artists also revealed a new facet of this musical style, which is open to everyone (the co-leader and trumpet player Sheila Maurice-Grey is one of the key artists of this scene), re-establishing partying and dancing. This is this collective dimension that the band holds very high with its new album Tuff Times Never Last: while preserving the basics, they also turn to soul and R&B, and they put singing in the spotlight, with an undeniable talent for heady chorus and soothing melodies. A call to light, which is more necessary than ever, continues on stage and strengthens a little more their status of band which is considered to be one of the most noteworthy, accessible and original of the past few years.

Line-up :