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Oregonian Article, CD Release Party This Weekend

 Happy Holidays!

If you really want to give them the gift that counts, give that loved one my new album “The Greatest Haven’t Been Born Yet.” Our CD Release party is tomorrow night Sat, Dec 22nd at Design Counsel Studio located on 1020 NW 18th ave (Marshall) Chris Mosley Quartet joins us at 8pm and the Drew Shoals Collective hits two sets with two quartets starting at 10pm. The two groups will feature the album lineup: John Nastos, Ben Darwish, Damian Erskine and Nick Sweet, Dan Duval, Jeff Picker. The Oregonian even had a little something to say about it:

Driven to drum

Friday, December 21, 2007

Drummer Drew Shoals is on the verge. He is already known as the brightest young star in Portland’s music firmament, and national recognition is on the way. Behind the drum kit, he’s all arms and legs, moving his whole body and using cymbals as much as the drums themselves. You can draw comparisons to Jack DeJohnette and Tony Williams, but Shoals is coming from an entirely different place.

He is as versatile as he is talented, having played in pop, blues and bluegrass bands, touring extensively over the past summer with Tony Furtado.

He is releasing his first jazz album as a leader Saturday, with some of the other Young Turks, the players who will lead the Portland jazz scene for many years to come. The title is “The Greatest Haven’t Been Born Yet.”

What does the title of your album mean?

I was reading the poet Saul Williams’ book, “Said the Shotgun to the Head,” and there’s a line: “The greatest Americans haven’t been born yet.” That hit me. It was an optimistic yet solemn statement. I thought that instead of saying “Americans” we’d bring it out to a broader vision. I was mediating on that Saul Williams line. I lit some candles, sat down in my room on the floor, cross-legged, grabbed my guitar and wrote the track. I knew it would sum up the album for me.

Do you write on guitar?

I write on piano and guitar. As of six months ago I had never written a jazz tune and all of a sudden they came out. I had told myself, “Oh, well, you’re a drummer, you just play drums, you’re a sideman, you can’t be a band leader.” All of a sudden it was, “That’s not true, I can do this.” All of a sudden the floodgates opened and I had an entire record come out.

There’s hip-hop in your jazz playing, isn’t there?

Yes. Crunk jazz starts off with what is inspired by the Southern rap movement. It has this driving relentless high-hat thing. I start with that and then I build. Eventually I deconstruct that. I’m thinking of hip-hop when I’m playing.

You’re in so many different kinds of bands, is there something that ties them all together?

Like Thara Memory says: There’s good music and bad music. I love playing tons of music and I feel so lucky to play with so many amazing singer-songwriters, playing pop and rock, being able to tour around the country.

Music is a spiritual experience for me. I love to connect with the people I’m playing with but also the people who are listening, and I feel like we’re all experiencing something beautiful together. It doesn’t matter if it’s jazz or rock, it’s just cool to be a part of something moving.

How do you deal with people calling you the next big thing?

(Laughing.) It’s flattering, but I can’t buy into the hype. I just have to continue to enjoy making music. I appreciate the compliments people give me, but I’m just happy to have the opportunity to play drums for a living.

Drew Shoals Collective CD release, 8 p.m. Saturday, Design Counsel Studio, 1020 N.W. 18th Ave.; all ages; $10; www.drewshoals.com

– Tom D’Antoni

Special to The Oregonian

Hope to see you tomorrow night. If you’re anxious for some great music tonight, I’ll be playing with the Ben Darwish Trio w/ Zach Wallmark celebrating our one year anniversary of our “Industrial Hero” release at Zaytoon on 2236 NE Alberta at 9pm. If you’re looking for the after party on Sunday night, I’ll be down at the Someday Lounge on 125 NW 5th with Chris Mosley and a bunch of amazing musicians for his Winter Solstice bash starting at 8pm.

That was a lot of info and there will be a lot of fun this weekend. Hope to see you everywhere.

Thanks!

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