Ulu - Ulu & Nerve (1998/2003)

An envigorating, motivating, and driving fusion of funk, jazz, and emotion.

Coming in second place was NYC-based ulu, who displayed their playful, dramatic style via jazz-twisted, bouncy beats. Another way to describe their music? "Gumby-textured squonk," said David Hoffman, ulu's drummer and manager, with whom I spoke recently. He elaborated more seriously: "I truly believe that this genre of music that we're being scooped into right now is really going to go somewhere.... There are changes going on in this society, and there needs to be some fresh music, and you can tell that pop music is going towards more of an instrumental (sound)."

Hoffman's thoughts on the Wetlands event? "It was such a great show from beginning to end in terms of talent in the bands, he raved. "We've never been a part of a bill where all of the bands were really interesting and fun to listen to and inspiring to us. But that was the case Friday night.... I hop that some of those bands can get together and do it again. I think it will happen because we all get along. Backstage, everybody was complimenting each other and that was rare. -- Jackie Enfield. "The New Groove Generation Show." The Aquarian Weekly: 7/29-8/5/98

Every now and again you'll stumble into a gig and find an unexpected surprise. But ulu, a five-piece instrumental outfit based in New York City, is a band that will downright shock you, forcing your feet to move and your jaw to drop. The "unleabelable" groove they have mastered is as pioneering, and difficult to classify, as bands such as Medeski Martin & Wood and The Grey Boy All-stars. One can expect a distorted clavinet solo that hooks a hard harmonic left turn and settles back down to melodic pockets off the saxophone or flute. This is all happening above a relentless bass and rhythm groove skillfully providing space in the backyard of the beat. In just a few short months on the scene, ulu has generated a strong buzz and admiration among peers. This is a band that's on the way up. -- The Pharmer's Almanac Volume 4: The Unophicial Guide to Phish. Winter 98.

Fusion earned itself a bad name in the late '70s and early '80s because the focus of progressive rock and jazz turned to skill, largely ignoring feeling. Manhattan's ulu, however, play fusion as popularized by Bitch's Brew-era Miles Davis, and the result is superb, intelligent music that demands rump shakin'. The quintet have been making quite a name for themselves in downtown NYC, earning themselves comparisons to Medeski, Martin & Wood, The Grey Boy All-stars, and The Lounge Lizards. -- Jordan Malken "De La Soul and ulu are coming to Atwood" The Scarlet: 3/19/98

What do you get when you mix a jackson heights sax and flute player with a taste for jazz from Milwaukee; a Beatles-loving bass player born in London who grew up in Great Neck; a Wantagh drummer influenced by the cult rock band Phish;a New Jersey keyboard player influenced by Herbie Hancock; and a Brooklyn guitarist with a heavy metal background who has lived in Italy, Brazil, Thailand and New Jersey?

The answer: ulu.

The local band with a grwoing cult following combines jazz, rock, funk and various other types of music to create a unique sound all their own. -- Jeff Berman "Fusing Jazz, Rock and Funk Into 'ulu'" The Queens Courier. 2/26-3/4/98

With musical influences ranging from '70s-style funk-like Herbie Hancock's Headhunters and James Brown, to the jazz of Miles Davis, ulu places heavy emphesis on both composition and improvisation. All of their pieces are originally composed and most feature solos from every member of the band.

Although ulu is stylistically similar to more mainstream bands like Phish, Hoffman claims that the individuality in ulu's music is best demostrated in their organization and variation. "Our music could take on a different crowd like an acid jazz crowd, the hippie-type crowd and a more sophisticated coffee shop-type crowd," says Hoffman...

"Although the band has only been together for a little over six months, ulu has quickly gained dedicated fans and as a result, their mailing list keeps growing. "Things have just happened so fast," says Hoffman. "The right people liked us in the beginning and they gave us a chance." -- Julie Jarema "Up and coming band, ulu, finds sound between jazz and funk" Washington Square News. 11/27/97
From the Label

If their immensely diggable new album's any indication, this groove-jazz quintet has come a long way in just the past several months. Downright insinuating, Ulu tunes creep under your epidermis on fat saxophone lines and sexy wackajawacka rhythms that - especially onstage - can tumesce into full-on gumby-textured squonk. Gehr
About the Artist

Ulu (((-l(() When ulu strikes the thump and finds the groove, rumps are shaking to the boogie of what Richard Gehr of the Village Voice calls "gumby textured squonk."

Ulu went public on April 29, 1997 at Jiggs Corner, a tiny venue in Butler, New Jersey. In less than a year, ulu was billed with such acts as De La Soul, The Greyboy Allstars, Victor Wooten (of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones), and was featured in this 1998's JVC Jazz Festival "New Groove Generation." Labeled "unlabelable" by The Pharmer's Almanac, ulu "will downright shock you, forcing your feet to move and your jaw to drop." The group packs such New York City venues as The Wetlands, S.O.B.'s, and The Knitting Factory. Supported by their loyal, strong, and growing fanbase, ulu continues to fill venues from Vermont to Maryland with their musically rich and personally charged sound.

ulu's sound is rooted in the long time friendship between David Hoffman (drums), Justin Wallace (bass), and Scott Chasolen (Rhodes, clavinet, organ). Searching for a deeper groove, they placed an ad in the Village Voice that was answered by guitarist Luca Benetti. Their first jam gave birth to what would eventually appear on their self-titled debut CD as "Braintree." Yet the sound would not be complete without their tenor-man. Luca introduced Aaron Gardner (saxophone), and five men became ulu.

Chance - and Herbie Hancock - brought producer and artist together. On a New York City street corner in March of 1998, Justin and a friend were discussing ulu's need for an album. They bumped into Neva Recordings' producers Manech Ibar and Yiram Aldouby, who were walking out of a nearby building. Phone numbers were exchanged. As they spoke later that night, Justin recognized Hancock's "Thrust" playing in the background. Their mutual respect for this groundbreaking album cemented their relationship.

ulu began pouring sound for their album into the three-story apartment that housed Neva Recordings. With David, Justin, and Scott in the basement, Aaron on the main floor, and Luca upstairs in the loft, the isolated musicians could only communicate through their mics and headphones. All the while, the production team, huddled over the mixing console, gave form and helped shape ulu's vivid musical soundscapes. Two days later, the recording was finished.

The rumpus has begun.

Nerve, the 2003 album from ULU, is a perfect example of what I like to call New Age Funk. ULU displays an amazing amount of different beats along with great rhythms throughout the album. The entire record is a tribute to their musical talent. With few songs with lyrics, the instruments are the vocals of this album.

The album Nerve is an album you put in your CD player and just groove to the entire way through. The best way I can describe this is when you put the album in, you feet automatically want to go along with the beat. Where’s Paul, the first track, is a direct reminder of the funk portion of the Grammy’s this year. Give Yourself Away, the fifth track has some soulful lyrics to go along with a mean beat throughout. Reunited is the slow song of the 13 track album, which gives a tune that you would want to get your girlfriend/boyfriend and just slow dance to.

The foursome of ULU put together a powerful, soulful, and most of all, funky group of songs to compose Nerve. If you’re in the mood for a funky night, I would highly suggest this album as your selection. Even if you aren’t though, the album is still a solid overall choice for any occasion.