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NOT EVERY BAND IS MEANT to be giant. There's a mysterious quality that only a handful of musicians possess that allows them to touch thousands of listeners at once, sweeping over an amphitheatre like a warm breeze, a shaft of pure, unspoiled light that cuts through the darkness. There are real giants and those who merely stand on their shoulders. When you encounter the genuine article, you know it. Not because anyone told you, but because the notes reach in and touch you where you live. New Monsoon is this kind of band, seven beautiful souls who make a downright holy sound that shows their musical adolescence is over, and a new titan is ready to be born.
New Monsoon :: The Fillmore SF :: By Susan J. Weiand |
"All the musicians in the group are really good," states original Santana drummer Michael Shrieve, who's producing the band's next studio album. Talking about seeing them for the first time in Seattle, he says, "I was impressed with the way they played and their sound of drums plus percussion plus tabla. Of course I liked all that, which is familiar territory for me, but their bold musicianship was really good. I loved the fact that they're on the road 250 days a year, which says to me how serious they are."
New Monsoon's bigness starts with their formidable instrumentation and rollicking compositional chops. Bottle neck slide banjo, scorching electric guitar, organic jazz-rock bass, fleet fingered piano, and the ever-shifting mountain of percussion built by tabla player Rajiv Parikh, drummer Marty Ylitalo, and Latin skin slapper Brian Carey. A restless collective mindset pushes them to always find new sounds, endlessly exploring new instruments and textures. You might hear hints of the Allman Brothers, Santana, John McLaughlin's Indian accented Shakti, and Traffic in their DNA, but the way they do it is saturated with a feeling all their own.
Carper & Miller :: The Independent, SF :: By Susan J. Weiand |
"That's been one of the things I hoped would distinguish us from a lot of the more technical jam bands who spend a lot of time working out intricate riffs that come out of a more fusion influence," explains lead electric guitarist Jeff Miller. "It's good that people are still into that, that people's minds are capable of following a maniacal musical thing. I want for anyone who walks into the room to feel something from the music, and maybe at times to be a little impressed with the musicianship but to have that be in the background of the emotions coming out."
Miller elaborates; "Where I'm at is I want to put on shows that make people feel like I felt seeing Pink Floyd, like that level of 'Oh my God, they're playing Welcome To The Machine!, and that creepy keyboard intro is going to fry my brain, and David Gilmour's guitar is going to fry my soul.' They were able to strip away any sort of technical concerns and get right to the mood of the song."
2004 found the San Francisco group playing more national dates than ever before, building a dedicated fan base in Texas, Colorado, and elsewhere, and playing well-received slots at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Bonnaroo. They even played the famous Fillmore Auditorium this past November as guests of Michael Franti and Spearhead, who several of New Monsoon's members regard as a model for how one can be both a good musician and a force for positive social change.
Phil Ferlino By Susan J. Weiand |
The year began, however, with a major challenge when longtime bassist and lead singer Heath Carlisle left the band with zero notice right before their 2003 New Year's Eve run. Faced with a microphone waiting for a voice, Miller and virtuoso keyboardist Phil Ferlino jumped in, singing many of the songs they'd helped write in the first place. Acoustic guitarist and banjo whiz Bo Carper also sings Tom Waits' "Get Behind The Mule," and the guys are working on him to do Hendrix's "1983." Percussionist Brian Carey does a Manu Chao song, and over time they all hope to become confident singers.
"The band encourages me to sing a lot. I'm the resistant one rather than the other way around," laughs Carper. "One of the stated goals in the next year is for all of us to become more comfortable singing and adding our voice to the mix. For all of us it's a goal, and I think it'll happen."
After a series of talented guest bassists, they settled on Ben Bernstein, a complex dazzler with serious rock 'n roll attitude. Think Jaco Pastorius minus the crippling ego and endless showiness, and you have some idea of Ben's skills. From these challenges emerged an even truer, denser version of New Monsoon that's consistently tapped into something genuinely magical ever since.
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