Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Cedar Groove, 10 p.m., The Old Bay, 31-33 Church St., New Brunswick. $5. (732) 246-3111 or visit
www.oldbay.com
Cedar Groove continues the tradition of a long line of great New Brunswick jam bands, such as All
God's Children, Fatty Lumpkin, Barbuda, Water, Jones and Natural Breakdown. The funky unit is working
hard behind a three-song EP that kicks off with ``Smatty,'' a video that recently was helmed by Mike
Pinchiaroli of In Focus Productions (www.infocusproductions.net).
The EP also includes the fun tracks ``Vibrating Soup'' and ``Funky Chinese Food,'' which get
sandwiched live between a smattering of other originals and a healthy serving of cool covers.
Check it out tonight during a hometown gig at The Old Bay, where the members of Cedar Groove --
Ben Davis (acoustic guitar, harmonica, vocals), Anthony Sacchetti (guitar, vocals), guitarist Eric
Suskin, keyboardist Whitney Palmer, bassist Tim Biercz and drummer Tony Carlino -- will celebrate
their first anniversary together. The celebration will include a special solo acoustic set by Davis
in between two band sets.
Having opened for two-time Grammy-winning gospel-rock keyboardist John Ginty last night at Conduit
in Trenton, Cedar Groove also will perform April 29 at Championship Bar & Grill, Trenton, and May 13
at Marita's Cantina, New Brunswick, with Amber Blues. The band will make its New York City debut May
27 at Lion's Den.
Look out for a performance by members of Cedar Groove at the Courier News Acoustic Cafe
(www.c-n.com/specialsections/multimedia). Info: www.myspace.com/cedargroove
- Bob Makin-Courier News
Discography
Demo released August 2005:
Smatty
Vibrating Soap
Funky Chinese Food
Recorded LIVE at Homeplace Studios (East Orange, NJ)
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
As a six piece original band from central New Jersey, Cedar Groove explores the endless possibilities of bringing together different elements of music. They are able to balance exploratory improvisational jams with a classic rock structure and solid funk grooves. Live performances highlight Cedar Groove’s evolving song writing skills and spontaneous musical abilities. They have the ability to stimulate your imagination of musical experiences ranging from George Clinton sitting in with Jethro Tull to Frank Zappa orchestrating The Grateful Dead.
Much like the creation of a sturdy, long lasting structure, Cedar Groove started from the bottom up. While Tony Carlino provided the steady driving force on drums, Eric Suskin offered additional rhythmic stability and harmonies on guitar. Tim Biercz’s bass guitar provided low-end harmonies and expressive lead bass lines. As other musicians would come and go through the practice space, these three would remain constant. As their sessions began to create a tighter groove, it was apparent that a strong foundation had been set, but more layers needed to be added to complete their musical creation.
Through the next couple of months the ornamental pieces were added to the group. Whitney Palmer on the keyboards helped solidify the groove along with adding a variety of sounds to the compositions. Ben Davis, a solo acoustic artist, came to Cedar Groove adding a subtle acoustic guitar sound, a jukebox knowledge of cover songs, and most importantly, his rich vocals. The final addition, Anthony Sacchetti, complemented the group on lead guitar and energized the band with his tireless enthusiasm for music.
Together for one year now, Cedar Groove is beginning to hit their stride and venture out into the tri-state music scene. Having been embraced by the jam band community, Cedar Groove has shared the stage with The Natural Breakdown and harp guitarist Dan Lavoie, along with shared the bill with international touring act The Juggling Suns. Cedar Groove also plays with other local bands, strengthening the New Jersey homegrown music scene. The goal of every show is to make sure everyone starts sharing in the groove!
For the future, Cedar Groove is scheduled to record a full-length debut album with the help of Anthony Krizan (Spin Doctors/Amphibian) at Sonic Boom Studios in Raritan, NJ.
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