Los Angeles, CA – January 14, 2021 – Baker’s Brew is a Los Angeles based experimental jazz group that comes out of the vast experience of veteran drummer Maury Baker (full bio on the one sheet here) who has played with Frank Zappa, Janice Joplin, Tim Buckley, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Ron Carter, Johnny and Edgar Winter, Jackson Browne, Van Morrison, Seals & Crofts, Judy Collins, Phil Ochs, Austin Peralta and more. They will be releasing their single “Medium Cool” tomorrow, the track is the first single off of their upcoming album New Works, set for release on February 12. The single will be available on all platforms tomorrow (including on their Spotify artist page) and can be previewed here.
New Works is a 2 CD length experimental set that features 7 tracks of new jazz works and 8 tracks of new electronic works and will be released by Los Angeles’ Psychosomatic Records, a small but respected label known for their occasional and brilliant experimental jazz and electronic releases since 1998.
The release represents Baker’s long-standing ambition to combine all of his diverse experiences through total improvisation to create compositions on the spot. The jazz tracks feature spontaneous compositions from the group. While their work ranges anywhere from ambient jazz to avantgarde, this particular collection emphasizes a spacious sound in the tradition of Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue and the ECM label catalog.
Baker’s Brew also includes guitarist Daniel Coffeng (Doug Lunn, Steve Tavaglione, Mike Barsimanto, Phil Chen, others), Psychosomatic Records principal Jim Goetsch (George Russell, Albert King, Joe Zawinul, others) on soprano sax and electronics, and Carl Royce (James Combs, Sonny Cheebah, Silvio Rodriguez, others) on upright bass and electronics.
The electronic tracks feature the group improvising in conjunction with surround sound electronic scores created by group member Jim Goetsch. These works can best be appreciated on a powerful sound system in order for the listener to be inside the large sound field.
Taken from the new jazz tracks part of the project, “Medium Cool” starts with a slow build from the trio with a focus on Baker’s smooth playing then melds into some spaced out coolness from Goetsch, Coffeng, and Royce, with Baker’s drumming holding it all together.