The newest collection of island and world music from Florida's Windjammer--an upbeat mix of reggae, latin, and soukous rhythms with inspiring lyrics.

12 MP3 Songs
WORLD: Reggae, WORLD: World Fusion



Details:
The core of Windjammer has been together on the Florida music scene for many years. Imagine a band comprised of a multi-instrumentalist ethnomusicologist who is an expert on Afro-Caribbean music and steel drumming, an Eskimo drummer who graduated from the Jamaica School of Music after playing in heavy metal hair bands in the 1980's, and a virtuoso guitarist whose influences range from Cannibal Corpse to Frank Zappa. Furthermore, envision giving these musicians college degrees in jazz performance, a meticulous attention to detail bordering on obsessive compulsive disorder, and eight years of playing together constantly as a popular island music act. After all this, the time finally came for these fellas to come forward with their own unique sound, which can be heard on their new CD release entitled Acculturation.
Acculturation means "the modification of the culture of a group or individual as a result of contact with a different culture." This certainly describes Windjammer's sound. The players' roots in jazz and rock have been profoundly shaped by the sounds of the various reggae, Latin, jazz, and funk musicians they lived and worked with over the years. The resulting style is eclectic but not watered-down; a sound that embraces all of the musical and cultural influences that have been part of their experience in Florida. Their music is all groove-based--filled with danceable soukous, reggae, songo, and funk rhythms--but with added layers of sophisticated improvisations, consciousness lyrics, and all-around great musicianship.
Windjammer consists of Lawrence App on vocals, bass guitar, and percussion; Eric Mason on drums and vocals; and Peet Winders on guitar and vocals. In addition, the trio incorporates several other fine musicians they've worked with over the years, including their long-time associate Ray Guiser on saxophone and keys, Todd Beals on trumpet, and Roberto Caban and Tomas Orta on percussion. Their shows include many of the original songs from Acculturation along with a few unique covers of artists like Johnny Clegg, Bob Marley, and Sting.

Their vision is to put forth a new model of what the sound, the culture, and the ideology of our contemporary musical world is about. At the same time, they strive to literally move people, both physically and emotionally, with eclectic rhythms, catchy melodies, powerful lyrics and exciting stage shows. This strategy is apparently working well, as the band has attracted the attention of several record labels and has gotten a substantial amount of airplay, all prior to any official CD release events. After several showcases and CD release parties in various markets, Lawrence App and Windjammer plan to tour extensively in support of Acculturation.