Chapters Kneebody

• 1 Spectra 04:36
• 2 What's My Name 05:52
• 3 A Seaworthy Native 07:08
• 4 Wounds Let in the Light 04:51
• 5 Chapters 04:42
• 6 Hearts Won't Break 05:23
• 7 Ombré 03:28
• 8 The Trip 05:10
• 9 When It All Comes Down 05:49
• 10 The Non-Profit Prince of Lexington 03:56
• Total Runtime 50:55

Info for Chapters

Do Not Ignore This! This is the highly inventive, original and compelling new album from explosive US quartet Kneebody. The music is adventurous, exuberant and powerful: music for a new generation, music that will inspire and excite, coming from a band with a committed and distinctive sound. From the off, it commands your attention and surprises at every turn. Kneebody are a band with a long history, a deep mutual respect and a dedicated fan base, yet this album marks a new beginning - a new line-up, a new label, and renewed focus. The album is Chapters, an all-encompassing and powerhouse album that mixes deep grooves and deft melodies with a wide range of guests including Becca Stevens, Gretchen Parlato, Michael Mayo and Josh Dion. Chapters is a modern day great!

Ben Wendel, saxophone, effects
Shane Endsley, trumpet, effects
Adam Benjamin, keyboards
Nate Wood, drums, drums and bass (tracks 1, 7 and 9)
Guests:
Michael Mayo, vocals (track 2)
Becca Stevens, vocals (track 4)
Josh Dion, vocals, synth bass, drums (track 6)
Gerald Clayton, piano (track 8)
Gretchen Parlato, vocals (track 9)
Kaveh Rastegar, bass (tracks 2-6 and 8)

Tracks 1,7,9 recorded April 2019 at Figure 8 Recording in Brooklyn NY. Engineer: Lily Wen
Tracks 3,5,8,10 recorded February 2018 at Benaji Studios, Laguna Beach California. Engineer: Nate Wood
Tracks 2,4,6 recorded April 2018 at Figure 8 Recording in Brooklyn NY. Engineer: Sam Owens
Mixed and Mastered by Nate Wood at Kerseboom Studios
Produced by Kneebody
Executive Producer: Tom Korkidis & Dave Stapleton

Kneebody
do not stand still. Always searching, always committed. Intent on discovering new pathways of musical expression. Never complacent and never predictable. Kneebody are one of the most adventurous and exciting bands of their generation for their sheer virtuosity and musicianship, armed with a clarity of vision and understanding of who their audiences are. Chapters, their 9th studio album and their first full album since they became a four piece with the extraordinary Nate Wood taking the dual role of drummer and bassist on three tracks (and bringing in the astonishing Kaveh Rastegar for the rest of the album), is highly original, explosive and inventive. A powerhouse of firepower and virtuosity told with commanding musical intent.

Held together with their trademark sound of displaced beats, infectious riffs and haunting unison horns blended with compelling affected solos, a musical confidence and a sublime musical language, Chapters is one of their most spirited and accomplished albums to date. An album of originals featuring a stellar array of guests including Michael Mayo, Gretchen Parlato, Josh Dion and Becca Stevens, it has the potential to become a modern day great! With an explosive vitality and exuberance, and, at the flick of a switch, the ability to switch from a wall of monstrous improvisations to a sound of nuanced sweetness, Chapters epitomises Kneebody’s reason for being.

Referring to the title and its meaning, trumpeter Shane Endsley continues: ‘The title references the episodic nature of life and the way our personal stories begin to form a narrative as we accumulate more time on the planet. Kneebody feels like a family. We came together as young people and have spent all these years growing together. We have our personal chapters and we have our chapters as a band and they all intertwine. Sometimes we have to look back to realize what a given chapter was about and sometimes it can be noted in the present. At this time, Kneebody is clearly entering a new period and this album illustrates the passage. We have the original quintet, the new quartet, and we have the arrival of these wonderful guests. From here, we begin the next chapter of our story.’

As with all Kneebody projects Chapters is performed in a spirit of deep respect for the individual musical talents of all. A band of 15+ years with the excitement and energy of one starting out, instantly recognisable, Kneebody performs the feat of creating music that’s both musicians’ music and music for the people. They have the ability to create the feeling of a rock band with the subtle language of jazz. This music is up there with the most engaging bands on the circuit – edginess, intensity and massive energy, tempered by respect and spirit accented by superb musicianship and virtuosity.

This album contains no booklet.