Paradigm
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Paradigm

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"Press Release for Melodies For Uncertain Robots"

Tuesday, November 6th marks the release of the second LP by celebrated Louisville-based quintet Paradigm. The album, titled Melodies For Uncertain Robots, was self-financed, self-produced, and will be self-released on Paradigm’s own label with a digital release by Ropeadope Records (Benevento/Russo Duo, Christian McBride, DJ Logic, Charlie Hunter). Engineered by Philil Stirgwolt and mastered by Jim DeMain—whose combined credits include albums by artists as varied as Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Michael McDonald, Larry Coryell, June Carter Cash, Andrew Bird, Frank Black, and Bobby Bare Jr. (to name just a few)—Melodies For Uncertain Robots documents the sound of a radically transformed group.

After the release of Paradigm’s debut album Paradigm (2006), which sold extremely well locally and received regional radio airplay, the band has organically cemented their craft through diligent rehearsal, touring, and frequent local performances. Not content to remain artistically idle, the group has continued to probe and absorb musical influences and new sonic textures, all while retaining the sense of freedom and spirit of improvisation that one would expect from a group of highly skilled jazz musicians. The result, captured in Melodies For Uncertain Robots, is the emergence of a fine-tuned, strikingly original group voice. From the dreamlike landscape and soaring ecstasy of “Firefly,” the electronica-tinged atmosphere of “Laurette,” the freewheeling prog-jazz of “Particles,” and the driving arena rock of “Melancholy Collide,” to the sampled beats and propulsive surge of “Littlejohn Island,” Melodies shows Paradigm taking both instrumental music and the song form to exciting new levels of creativity.

The album will be available in physical form from www.paradigmgroove.com, and in digital format from Ropeadope Records (store.ropeadope.com) as well as other popular digital outlets like iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody, etc. With distribution and marketing deals in the works with Homegrown Music and Harmonized Records, respectively, Melodies For Uncertain Robots will also be available at fine independent record stores and marketed to radio stations nationwide. Paradigm will be celebrating the album’s unveiling with a release party set for Friday, November 2nd (with special guests Liberation Prophecy) at Headliners in Louisville, and is planning to support its release by continuing to tour and gain exposure in new markets.
- Paradigm


"Melodies for Uncertain Robots Album Review"

By Chris M. Slawecki

Paradigm's second album roams the free range of progressive jazz-rock fusion to harvest, thresh and bale every kaleidoscopic color and sound. It also clearly reflects the disparate makeup of this electric quintet with the band members hailing from Maine, New York, New Jersey, Kentucky and Tennessee; everyone met while studying jazz at the University of Louisville; and contributed to jazz projects led by Clark Terry, Andy Narell, and Paquito D'Rivera, before coming together into this fusion Paradigm.

In addition, Robots is quite democratic: Though most tunes are led by some combination of saxophone, guitar, and keyboards, every rhythmic and melodic voice seems equal. Light and breezy if curiously-titled, "Mourning" is probably the jazz-iest tune. Led by Myron Koch, whose saxophone sets up the melody and rhythm, then counter-rhythms, then counters those counters, all while popping off toe-to-toe with drummer Evan Pouchak. Led by keyboard player Brian Healy, "Particles" blows out of its starting gate then settles into a longer stride that Jonathan Epley's lead guitar catalyzes into a tightly-focused jazz jam that honors the conquering electric keyboard and guitar spirits in Return to Forever. Epley gets his turn to lead in the burning hot "Smokey."

Even more ambitiously, the first four tunes merge into an extended progressive rock/jazz suite. "Firefly" lights the path that Robots generally follows, bringing Supertramp piano rock together with Al DiMeola guitar jazz under one bright, energetic cover. "Firefly" spins into meandering "Orbit," circling upon acoustic piano then breaking down into a cool jazz trio interlude, a most dramatic lurch from rock to jazz. "Orbit" lights upon the quicksilver "Laurette," a framework which Koch hops, skips and jumps both inside and out; this shifts into the colorful, sweet and juicy fusion of "Pomegranate Eater."

Melodies for Uncertain Robots was financed, produced and released on CD by Paradigm; Ropeadope Records, strong carriers of the progressive hip-hop jazz torch, is handling its digital release. - All About Jazz


""Trying To Find A Unique Voice In Instrumental Music" by Chris Wissmann"

Trying to Find a Unique Voice in Instrumental Music

by Chris Wissmann

Louisville, Kentucky quintet Paradigm will return Friday, August 17 to the Hangar 9 to headline a show. Their previous visit came in February, when they warmed up for Carbondale expatriates Spare Parts. The bands were in the midst of a gig-swap-- Paradigm invited Spare Parts to open for them in Louisville and Spare Parts set up Paradigm with a Carbondale gig.

It was a terrific deal for Paradigm, because Spare Parts was recording a live CD that evening. Engineer Mike Lescelius went ahead and recorded Paradigm, and the results, according to Paradigm sax player Myron Koch, were wonderful. "We couldn't believe the quality," he tells Nightlife.

The group has one especially funky track from that show, "Blowin' Up," streaming at <paradigmgroove.com>.

Like Spare Parts, Paradigm plays entirely instrumental music, albeit a little funkier and harder-rocking. Jazz is a convenient but not wholly accurate label. "Littlejohn Island," for example, also recorded at the Hangar, even features sampled hip-hop beats before it segues into more ferocious movements that sometimes resemble the swirling electric piano, sax, and guitar solos in Pink Floyd's "Echoes."

In fact, Koch says the current instrumental-band movement is as inspired by DJs as jazz. "Personally I'd like to attribute people's understanding of instrumental music to techno," he says. "DJs will mix two or three genres of songs in different keys, but it's easily accessible because it has a good backbeat."

As a result, he says, people are not only used to hearing music with fast changes, but dancing to it-- and playing complex music to a dancing audience, he says, is a musician's dream. "You get all the perqs of playing funk without having to stay in one key," he says.

Koch is the newest member of Paradigm (which also consists of Brian Healey on keyboards and samples, Jonathan Epley on guitar, Will Roberts on bass, and Evan Pouchak on drums; Koch says that Healey and Epley are the band's primary songwriters). He had been booking festivals and clubs in Louisville, and Paradigm was his favorite local band-- playing tricky but hip music, including a show consisting of Radiohead covers last Halloween, he says they were the greatest and best-educated talents in that city's music scene. (The opinion is not only Koch's-- Paradigm received a shout in Louisville magazine's "Best of Louisville" edition thirteen months ago.)

When Paradigm's first sax player left, the band asked Koch, who was playing part-time with several different groups, to sit in. Pretty soon, he says, a year went by, and he is thrilled to still play with them.

Koch continues to book festivals, including a pub crawl in Louisville called the Peak Summit Groove and Dance Festival. He's working on his first three-day festival, which takes place August 24, 25, and 26 at the Rustic Frog, a venue with indoor and outdoor theaters in New Albany, Indiana. Paradigm will play there with thirty other musical acts ranging from bands to dancers and DJs.

And the group is awaiting mastering and duplication of the followup to their 2006 self-titled debut album. Titled Melodies for Uncertain Robots, they hope to release it by the end of 2007. The title sounds as if the disc is built around a theme.

"I guess there is a concept in a way," says Healey. The group's members all are or were students in the University of Louisville's jazz department. There, he said, the downside was an emphasis on technical proficiency. "You're not encouraged to have a unique voice," says Healey.

The disc represents the group breaking from music-conservatory constraints, but more than that, "It's more about us finding our own voice as a band. Our first disc was kind of generic in some ways, standard funk jazz. We're looking for our own unique sound, something that will set us apart from all the other bands out there. I think that's starting to come through on this album."

Paradigm is negotiating for and think they have a good chance to ink a deal with a national CD-distribution company, according to Koch. They're also investigating the creation of their own online store, on which they are considering selling songs for $1 apiece-- quite a value when so many of their tunes hit the eight-minute range. And speaking of great value, Paradigm is for sale via the group's website for $5.

Those who would like to preview the group can do so at <paradigmgroove.com>. That site, and their MySpace page <myspace.com/paradigmgroove>, contain a handful of streaming and downloadable audio tracks, plus links to YouTube videos. - Nightlife, 8-17-07


""Paradigm Shift" by Joseph Lord"

Music schools are breeding grounds for experimental super-groups. Take Paradigm, which formed at the University of Louisville School of Music when classmates wanted to play rock and jazz, freed from the boundaries of school-organized combos.

"When we first started, we'd just jam together without any expectations," keyboardist Brian Healey said.

The jam sessions evolved into something of a jam band -- instrumental indie rock, with influences like Radiohead and Sigur Ros, fused with the jazz its members were studying at U of L. The founding members hailed from outside of Louisville, and the band's groove-like, jazzy sound is distinct -- none of them have been here long enough to fall into the trap of playing the familiar hardcore or indie sounds that made Louisville famous.

This month, Paradigm released its second album, "Melodies for Uncertain Robots," which is available in stores and via most major digital music sites. With a booking agent about lined up, a tour is a certainty when the school year ends in May, and Healey said Paradigm may record again in 2008.

Instrumental bands usually struggle to catch on outside of their niche audience, but Healey said the band's intent is to write jazzy songs with pop-like hooks -- perhaps enough to satisfy casual listeners.

The first big break after Paradigm formed three years ago was playing evenings at the Qdoba Mexican Grill on Bardstown Road. Few serious musicians want to compete with the sound of "Could I have some more of the hot salsa on that? And more queso?" Nevertheless, Healey said the band benefited before a crowd they simply needed to entertain, not impress.

"We got a lot of exposure from that," he said, laughing.

"Melodies" is the first album for saxophonist Myron Koch, who organizes the Peak Summit Festival, with longstanding members Healey, Jonathan Epley, Will Roberts and Evan Pouchak. Roberts recently left the band and was replaced on bass by Dave Alfred.

Koch carries the melodies, his sax almost taking the place of a vocalist. He had been a Paradigm fan from booking Peak Summit and the Bluegrass Brewing Co. on Shelbyville Road.

"When I found them, I thought, 'Oh my God' -- these guys are no doubt one of the best bands in Louisville, especially for the genre," said Koch, who is from Louisville. "I liked their ability to move a crowd while still keeping some intelligence to them."

Paradigm already has made a habit of playing outside of Louisville, including occasional stops in Lexington and Carbondale, Ill. The five-piece band's tour this summer should be extensive.

"We might actually do really well," Koch said. "As far as attitudes, these guys are golden." - Velocity Weekly


""School of Hard Notes" by Katie Brown"

When a band’s members come from extremely different musical backgrounds and draw influences from sources just as varied, their collaboration can degenerate into bickering, insults and a muddled sound. For local band Paradigm, however, musical diversity is a strength — it generates music unlike anything else in Louisville.

The four-piece ensemble consists of keyboardist Brian Healey, guitarist Jonathan Epley, bassist Will Roberts and drummer Evan Pouchak, all of whom met as jazz students at the University of Louisville School of Music. On any given night you might see one of them playing a straight-ahead jazz gig around town with other musicians, but when they come together as Paradigm, the tunes can draw from jazz, soul, rock, blues or funk. As renowned jazz professor and performer John La Barbera puts it, "What they’re doing is building on traditional jazz by using forms and styles that bring new listeners into the fold. Rather than push audiences away, I think they tend to bring audiences in."

Those audiences are often as diverse as the group’s regular venues — the Red Lounge, Gerstle’s Place, The Hideaway Saloon, Qdoba Mexican Grill and Wick’s Pizza — with one common denominator: generally, few gray heads in the crowd. A great place to catch an informal and intimate set is the Red Lounge, where you can hear them play the jazz fusion found on their album, the self–titled Paradigm. The intriguing mix includes funky bass lines, occasional soulful slide guitar from Epley, flowing keyboard rhythms and a few looping themes. It’s a great spot to sit on a couch, close your eyes and be treated to the sounds of young, technically proficient musicians.

Make your way to the Hideaway and you’re likely to find a more raucous crowd and, concordantly, a livelier Paradigm. As Epley says, "If we’re at the Hideaway the crowd is usually a lot more into it, dancing around, and that’s going to make us play a lot more energetically. At the Red Lounge it’s laid-back and we’re more like background music for people, so we’re more experimental, just trying things. When the audience is more involved it really changes the way we play." They usually write out a set list, but rely on cues from the audience and one another to determine how closely they’ll follow it.

If you catch them at the Hideaway, where patrons are generally more attuned to bluegrass, blues, rock or jam-band rock, expect to hear more from those realms — maybe funky, bumping bass lines that mimic the Red Hot Chili Peppers, haunting rock-and-pop keyboard rhythms reminiscent of European super-group Radiohead, or Hendrix-like guitar riffs — all pulled off with ease by well-trained musicians.

Keyboardist Brian Healey, 25, began playing piano as a grade-schooler in his hometown of Cumberland, Maine, just another kid being pushed by eager parents to take classical music lessons — until high school, when he heard the revolutionary sounds of jazzman Thelonius Monk. "Yeah," he recalls, "he was definitely one artist who I heard and thought, ‘I want to play like that.’ So I switched teachers and started taking lessons from a jazz piano teacher, and that’s the direction I have gone ever since."

He received an undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont and last year completed a master’s degree from U of L in piano performance. A big part of the group’s songwriting component, he says that "when I bring in a tune I want to play, I bring the whole thing to the table, with all of the parts figured out in my mind. But I’ve come to accept the fact that everybody has their own taste, and I think it makes for a better overall sound when everyone has input."

Drummer Evan Pouchak sees two kinds of communication at work during rehearsals. One springs from their musical educations, giving them the ability to articulate when and where they want certain phrases in a song. The other is their openness, a willingness to listen to one another’s suggestions. Adds Epley, "When an idea for a song is brought to the group, it ranges from being completely composed and written out, and nothing changed from the original note almost, to just a small concept being built from the ground up."

One member is even bringing in concepts from the world of hip-hop: bassist Will Roberts, the band’s youngest player at 21. As a kid in New Jersey he fooled around with drums, guitar and punk bands, then in middle school switched to bass to join the school’s jazz band. He bought a book and taught himself the instrument he’s now studying at U of L, a strategy that had a few rocky moments. "There are things I wish I had a teacher for, things that took me two or three months and only take me a day to teach my students" during lessons, he says.

"My ideal music would be progressive hip-hop, taking the harmonic approach from jazz, which is the best melodic form of music, and combining it with the best live form of music: hip-hop," he says. Jazz purists might flinch at this "intrusion," but pulling from hip-hop and other genres enjoyed by younger listeners brings Paradigm a different audience.

"I think some of their popularity comes from their youth and what really creeps into their music," La Barbera says. "If I purported to pull the same thing off, at my age, it would be phony, but they’re out in the culture, listening to the same things as their peers." This ability to incorporate popular sounds with the more technical elements of jazz broadens their appeal, yet Paradigm isn’t too experimental for more conservative listeners.

Guitarist Jonathan Epley, 22, learned the same style as nearly every instrumentalist from eastern Tennessee: bluegrass. Born into a musical family in the Appalachian town of Greeneville, he started with guitar in middle school, playing rhythm to his mother’s banjo and then switching to blues lead guitar.

Since arriving at U of L he has immersed himself in jazz, perfecting his technique and staunchly refuting those who would label him a "jam-band guitarist." He is the other major songwriter for the group and suggests that being in Paradigm has broadened the horizons of what he will experiment with musically. However, he notes, "I’m the Nazi of the group. If someone plays something I don’t like, I have no problem telling them right then and there. But I think I keep everyone centered."

While growing up in Averill Park, N. Y., Pouchak was exposed to various instruments, eventually settling on the drums. He initially taught himself to play by jamming along to CDs or the radio. Then he plateaued, until he started formal lessons from a jazz teacher in high school. One summer he attended the esteemed Skidmore Jazz Institute, where he met La Barbera, who advised him to check out U of L’s program. He liked what he saw. "It was nice to get away from the whole upstate New York thing, which is very static," the 23-year-old says. "Not much leaves, not much comes in, so it’s nice to be in a city — to be in and around things as they’re happening, without the intimidation of going to a place like New York City."

The band formed about three years ago, playing mostly funk and soul. Dropping and adding a few members along the way, Paradigm developed its current progressive sound, which its members have been playing for a little over a year. Their formation is a nod to the University of Louisville and its power to bring in top talent for programs like the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshop (which runs this year from June 30-July 15) and the music school. That power lies in the size of the program, which allows for constant individual attention, according to La Barbera. Some players also find a great outlet in the community at the Jazz Factory, whose owner, Ken Shapero, donates to the U of L program and allows students to play in his club on occasion. They’re also welcome for jam sessions there.

While each member of Paradigm is strong musically on his own, they’ve achieved an accessible sound together. In a way, they’re searching for a musical paradigm with tools gathered through varied backgrounds, formal training and a lot of hard work. Whether the group stays together or splits up on different journeys, it’s hard not to expect exciting things from these four young musical explorers. - Louisville Magazine (Best of Louisville issue)


""5 Important Questions with Paradigm" by Stephen George (CD review/interview)"

The real, elemental art of jazz is basically in two things: flourish and improvisation. It is a form that requires a profound technical background that, ultimately, is not apparent to the listener. Part of such expertise is in making music that sounds easy. A painless analogy is the NBA: those guys drop 25-footers like layups, barely jumping and with little visible effort or care. That’s the line over which a good jazz player can step to become a great one.

Louisville’s marriage with jazz has been long and deeply rewarding. The Seelbach is a historical staple, and the Jazz Factory is becoming one. Perhaps the most visible manifestation is in U of L’s jazz program, from which the band Paradigm sprouts. A five-piece that rambles along unconventional jazz highways in a truck full of rock, funk, blues and soul, the band flaunts its extreme talent and training with high energy and religious-grade musical zealotry on its self-titled album, for which there’s a release party this weekend. The level of ability at which each member plays here borders the obscene.

Nine songs offer nine basic flavors, starting with opener “My Hands Wave …,” a modern piece with Evan Pouchak’s tight drumming parceled into an immutable groove. “Rhythm Police” is a funky ass-shaker where sax man John Harden shows he’s got a voice with a thousand years behind it. Mid-album the band opens the proceedings to guitarist Jonathan Epley’s fingering tap-dances, while bassist Will Roberts and keys maestro Brian Healey provide jazz-cool palettes of Groove. I wouldn’t say jamband, but extended dancing and hairy armpits won’t be denied.

LEO: If you were Mayor, what would you do to help promote people like you in this city?
Jonathan Epley: I would put together a huge music festival on the waterfront with great regional acts opening for national acts.
Brian Healey: A few years back, the governor of Maine organized a program where every middle school student was given a laptop computer. I might try to do something similar, except with musical instruments instead of computers.
Will Roberts: Lower the drinking age.

LEO: Which Louisville musician needs to get more attention?
John Harden: Dave Clark.
JE: I may be a little biased, but there are tons of great jazz players that live in this city, lots of them on the faculty at U of L and Bellarmine, such as Craig Wagner and Todd Hildreth.
WR: Liberation Prophecy.
Evan Pouchack: In terms of a group, the Liberation Prophecy needs to be heard by more people. It’s definitely one of the more forward-thinking bands in town, and every member can play. In terms of a single person, Boogie Morton is probably the city’s best-kept secret. He swings like a wrecking ball.
BH: You mean besides us? I’ll say Liberation Prophecy, too.

LEO: If music were food, what kind would yours be?
JH: My music would be greens and fried chicken because it is soulful.
JE: Probably pizza, because I like a little bit of everything on it.
BH: I’d say sushi, because it’s raw, because different ingredients and styles provide endless possibilities of taste, and mostly because it’s delicious.
EP: It would definitely be spicy. Maybe a spicy piece of chicken. Maybe a loud, spicy piece of chicken. With a guitar solo. Actually, could you rephrase the question?
WR: A dietary supplement.


LEO: Tell me about one of your favorite works of art aside from your medium.
JE: I’m an avid reader. My favorite books run from “The Bible” to “Slaughterhouse Five.”
BH: I really dig on screenwriter/director David Lynch. I recently watched “Twin Peaks” on DVD, and I gotta say it’s the most intriguing and creative television show ever made.
JH: The movie “The Four Brothers” is a work of art that I loved watching.
EP: Right now, I really like Bob Hicok’s “Animal Soul.” It’s a fun read, and he is one of my favorite contemporary poets.

LEO: What do you want to say that you know you shouldn’t?
EP: I, being one among many people who think the same but are afraid to admit it in public, think that Coldplay is a great band. If this makes me a wimp, then I’m a wimp.
JH: Damn!!! She’s got a big ass!!
BH: Impeach Bush! That probably won’t win me many friends in a red state like Kentucky.
JE: It is unfortunate that many musicians spend more time trying to get well known and popular than they do writing good songs and practicing their instruments. - Louisville Eccentric Observer


Discography

- "Melodies For Uncertain Robots" available nationwide on Ropeadope Records (Charlie Hunter, Benevento/Russo Duo, DJ Logic) and Home Grown Distribution. Spent over a month as Ropeadope Digital's best selling album.

- "Paradigm" (self-titled) released in 2006. Single "Rhythm Police" recieved airplay on public and college radio in the Midwest region.

Photos

Bio

Paradigm creates anthems for the subconscious. The music flits in and out of genres and moods: at times heavy and driving, sometimes funky and joyous, and other times drifting in dreamy sonic explorations. It is ambient, yet harmonically complex, with powerful themes that propel the music ever forward. Paradigm constructs memorable melodies that haunt the mind for days on end, providing a soundtrack to the movie that is life.

The members of Paradigm came together while studying jazz at the University of Louisville, and wowed audiences from the get-go, quickly establishing a loyal local following. Since then, the group has taken its act on the road, gaining fans across the country, as well as performing at major music festivals and sharing intimate double-bills with a wealth of recognized talent, such as the Benevento/Russo Duo, Charlie Hunter, and the Lee Boys, among others. Individual members of Paradigm have performed with an assortment of musicians from a wide range of genres, including: jazz trumpet legend Clark Terry, Paquito D�Rivera, Keller Williams, Delfeayo Marsalis, Vince Welnick, Andy Narell, and members of Garaj Mahal.

Jazz is the common ground, yet the members of Paradigm, each of whom is constantly in demand for freelance work and various other musical projects, all bring a unique accent to the group's collective voice. Paradigm blends modern jazz exploration with the raw power and sonic possibilities of indie rock, with some prog tendencies thrown in for good measure. The sound has been called a dance-oriented blend of progressive jazz and art rock.