ALO

In an era where dance groups rarely sing and songwriters rarely rock the dancefloor, the Bay Area's ALO (aka, Animal Liberation Orchestra) is the rare combination of both worlds. Take one part Talking Heads, one part Elton John, and one part James Brown, stir swiftly, and watch the magic happen. This unique mixture of superb songcrafting, instrumental prowess, infectious energy, and dancefloor demolition have earned the band a fanatic following, and some heavy company. Jack Johnson, is just one of many world-class musicians who have lent their explicit support to the project (James Brown and String Cheese Incident are also big fans). In October 2002, Johnson had ALO open his sold-out show at The Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, CO and they have since been sharing stages throughout Hawaii and California. Johnson will be a featured guest on ALO's fourth album, set for Spring 2004.

ALO is the product of a 15-year musical partnership between childhood friends, Dan Lebowitz (guitar) Steve Adams (bass) and Zach Gill (keys-vocals). This core trio (aka, LAG) recently reunited with former bandmate David Brogan, who occupied the drum throne in 1996 when the four spent their days in Georgia, jamming with members of the James Brown Band under the watchful eye of the Godfather of Soul himself. That Fall they returned home to Santa Barbara, christened themselves the Animal Liberation Orchestra, and have been astounding audiences ever since. With the return of Brogan, and the quartet solidified in 2002, ALO began its most extensive period of national touring.

Their most recent recording effort, Time Expander (Lagmusic Records), highlights ALO’s skillful songcraft, rapturous dance grooves, and exploratory improvisations. Zach Gill's lead vocals touch upon the classic styles of Elton John, David Byrne, Donald Fagan, and Joe Cocker, while his synth playing evokes Bernie Worrell and Rick Wakeman. Guitar wizard, Dan Lebowitz, is among a select few who can take a six-string acoustic guitar into the realms of funk, jazz, and psychedelic rock. Think Curtis Mayfield and George Benson meet Stevie Ray Vaughan. On the bottom end, longtime rhythm section partners Steve Adams and David Brogan recall the early R&B of the Funk Brothers, mixing in a dash of modern dance grooves, to conjure a rock-steady foundation from which anything is possible. Dubbed the Steely Dan of the jamband scene by the WhatDaFunk Newsletter, ALO's brand of West Coast funk is sure to release your inner animal.