A 17-piece improvisational band "teeming with ideas, energy and [from the rapturous reception at this live date in Virginia], jam band appeal" - Downbeat Magazine.
Featuring covers of Radiohead's 'Morning Bell' and John Hiatt's 'Have a Little Faith

9 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Big Band, POP: with Live-band Production



Details:
Constantly mislabled as a swing band by those who have seen its mammoth proportions but not yet heard the music, Devil's Workshop Big Band is a 17-piece improvisational band dedicated to blurring the boundaries between jazz, rock, funk and all the other territories of today's Balkanized music scene. Formed just before Christmas 2000 by saxophonist Stephen Norfleet, the group started playing regular Monday night gigs in September 2001 in it's hometown of Richmond, Va. and has been building a loyal following ever since.

Cramming into a smoky, boisterous ex-speakeasy, playing among gyrating fans and harried waitresses every week allowed the band's sound to develop very rapidly. The result of their first year's efforts is "Idle Hands," their self-produced debut CD. Holding over 70 minutes of music, it features group improvisation, tons of original material, and covers of Radiohead's "Morning Bell" and John Hiatt's "Have a Little Faith in Me."

"Where [Kurt] Cobain might suddenly rip his guitar from his body, mash it into an amp, then hurl it off the stage, [DWBB]channels the cheek into a clamorous brass fracas, where horns perilously zig-zag across each other, the keyboards turn inside out, and the drums sound like they're being pounded on by a gorilla." -richmond.com