Otis Grove started out as a collective experiment that attempted to blend traditional jazz with funk, rock and roll, and even a little bit of Hip-Hop. And let me tell you they were more than successful. The boys of Otis Grove began to show their sound to the New England area in 2002 and a couple years later they self-recorded (and self-titled) their debut album in 2004. The album was an exposition of the band’s musical ingenuity, producing tracks like “Meet Me Halfway” and the exceedingly popular “Chicken and Biscuits” that emphasize guitar solos thereby expanding upon conventional jazz techniques.
The band’s most recent album, Crank It UP, was recorded after they signed with Ropeadope Records and was released in 2007. The trio was able to maintain their unique mixture of soulful organ melodies and grungy garage rock. The powerful guitar solos from Tyler Drabick give confidence to the funky, more eccentric stylings from Sam Gilman’s organ. These two clearly different musical techniques are held together by the steady yet lively drumming of Blake Goedde. Tracks like “Pure Luck” and “Pimp Juice” expose the group’s unwavering loyalty to the genre of jazz whereas songs such as “Crank It UP” show listeners the innovative and improvisational rock genius that is Otis Grove.
Although all three band members come from completely different musical influences ranging from The Roots to Led Zeppelin, they are united under one cause and one cause alone: educating the masses. Drummer Blake Goedde says, “Let’s educate people back to the 30s, 40s, 50s whenever there was great music all the time and people actually enjoyed listening to it!” So ladies and gentlemen are you ready to help Otis Grove in their honorable endeavor of musical revival? And if you’re more of a stay-at-home type of person I highly recommend “cranking up” your own life by trying out the tracks of this talented trio.
Otis Grove on the Web:
www.facebook.com/pages/Otis-Grove/125487145710
