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some early
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Poughkeepsie
Journal
John Barry June 19, 2014
New CD from Jeremy Baum
offers soul, jazz and the blues
One Hammond B3 player I've
been watching for years is Jeremy Baum of New Windsor, whose touch on the
keyboard can be tender or torrential, quiet or quick.
Baum, a graduate of
the State University of New York at New Paltz who has performed often in
Dutchess County, doesn't just play his instrument, he draws sound from it. He
teases sound from the organ, coaxes it out, and at the right moment, he propels
it forward, to a legion of faithful followers who enjoy his fusion of soul, jazz
and the blues.
And just as they're chewing on it all, Baum lobs another
one their way.
He simultaneously negotiates and executes his way up and
down that keyboard, while keeping the crowd abreast of any and all musical
equations he happens to piece together, with the insight of a college professor
and the sheer joy of a kid in a candy shop.
All of this brings me to
Baum's new CD, "The Eel," a dissection of musical genres stamped with the
personality of a musician who knows when to take a gallop to a stampede, when to
batten down the hatches and when to throw caution to the wind.
This CD
has a lot of great tunes on it. But if it only had "Pacific Drive" on it, just
one song, it would be worth getting your hands on. Written by Baum, this bouncy,
optimistic song meanders just enough to pique your curiosity, but returns
repeatedly to the grit and grime of a good blues tune, thanks in large part to
the unrelenting guitar licks of Myles Mancuso, who is originally from
LaGrange.
I found myself playing this song over and over, tapping my feet
and rocking back and forth in my chair. With these tunes, prepare to move — and
be moved.
Steven M. Alper
I was immediately grabbed by
the guy at the Hammond. (Jeremy's) playing was by turns intense and understated,
showing such mastery of the instrument. Brilliant, well-shaped solos, slipping
back and forth over that line between inside and outside, never quite treading
beyond the style (but hinting at the possibility). It was the subtle,
effervescent accompanying that really surprised, the ever-changing tone and
texture, slapping rhythm juxtaposed with sustain. This guy knows the Hammond
from the inside out, digging out the sounds of the physical tone wheels from the
new electronic box.
The Working Musician
(.com)
Roger-Z March 01, 2014
Jeremy Baum puts the fun back
into keyboard-based, instrumental garage-rock. Think back to "99 Tears" by
Question Mark and The Mysterians or "Wooly Bully" and "Little Red Riding Hood"
by Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs. The Sixties managed to reflect the turmoil as
well as the joy in American society. We still share the distress -- but Jeremy
Baum puts smiles back on our faces. Our star here finds himself surrounded by
some of New York's finest -- guitar (Chris Vitarello, Myles Mancuso, Scott
Sharrard), vocals (Chris O'Leary), drums (Eric Kalb, Chris Reddan, Michael
Bram), bass (Matt Raymond, Tony Tino, Anthony Candullo), sax (Jay Collins),
percussion (Dave Gross, Juma Sultan, Eddie Torres), harmonica (Dennis
Gruenling), trumpet (Phil DeMier), trombone (Dean Jones). Jeremy Baum produced
the album and guitar phenonomen Dave Gross captured it at Fat Rabbit Studios in
Montclair, New Jersey.
The jubilant music romps wild. It kicks off with
"The New Pollution," a one chord stomp with a bass line similar to The Beatles'
"Tax Man". Baum pegs the perfect Hammond B3 tone to weave in with Vitarello's so
tasteful guitar. "Funky Monkey" gets the blues down on the "good foot." Baum
turns his organ up and lets it all hang out! The turnaround provides the hook.
"Three More Bottles" features Chris O'Leary apologizing for his bad behavior.
Woman gone -- but plenty of booze and harp playing! Don't know who "Charlie
Baum" is, but this composition reeks of Ramsey Lewis!
Lots of variety on
this album. "Borracho" shows off horn-driven Latin roots. Myles Mancuso
dominates on "Pacific Drive" with the tastiest R&B guitar. James Brown's
"Ain't It Funky Now" launches a monumental blowing session between Chris
Vitarello, Scott Sharrard, and Baum. The anthematic "Purple Rain" proves a most
inspired cover. Once again, Baum and Vitarello bob and weave like brothers from
a different mother! The title cut, "The Eel," evokes Soulive and allows Mancuso
and the group to show off monster tempo changes and chops!
Jeremy Baum
manages to bring "peace, love, and happiness" back to instrumental music. He
mainlines his inner joy. Job exceedingly well done!
Almanac
Weekly
John Burdick November 22, 2013
Keyboardist Jeremy Baum has
been a highly visible and in-demand regional-and-beyond sideman for a long time
now, flexing his fine touch, great ears and multigenre fluencies in some pretty
top-shelf blues, Latin and jazz settings. Like so many courted and coveted
sidemen, Baum leads his own band as well, when he can, finding time about once a
decade to record his own material with his sidemen of choice. 2003’s Lost River
Jams was a funky, spacious set, foregrounding Baum’s tasteful Hammond and
piano-playing. Owing more to the brainy, Monkish lines of a Larry Golding than
to the non-stop blowing of Joey DeFrancesco, Baum keeps things fresh with jazz,
Latin and gospel colors sprinkled throughout this fine trio-plus-friends blues
session.
Baum has reconvened a trio – this time with guitarist Chris
Vitarello and drummer Chris Reddan – for the soon-to-be released CD The Eel. It
is this trio that Baum brings to the Liberty Lounge in Rhinebeck on Saturday,
November 23 at 9:30 p.m. The Eel isn’t out yet, but the band will no doubt be
offering a sneak peak of what to
expect.
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