Rebel Jelly
Gig Seeker Pro

Rebel Jelly

Band Rock Funk

Calendar

This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

Press


"Up in Burlington Vermont, Part 1"

"These guys will be making regular rotation with me, let me tell ya. I had a blast with them. *SoulBlythe bows to Rebel Jelly*"
- DJ SoulBlythe of Split Infinity Radio


"Show Review Rebel Jelly 8.19.07"

"...improvisation for a unique sound. R. Jelly’s members share a wide range of influences." - bandsthatjam.net


"‘Rebel Jelly' members connect the notes"

HORNELL - When Kurt Johnson came home to Hornell for a visit last summer, he was planning to return to Oregon.

A couple days of playing with former bandmate, Tony Gallicchio, and a two other members of Gallicchio's then band, G. Scott Corey and Justin Rister, kept Johnson around indefinitely. The result - Rebel Jelly - with Gallicchio on keyboard, Johnson on guitar, Corey on drums and Rister on bass. All four contribute vocals, taking turns on the lead mic.

On the heels of Ellen Oakes Kerr's performance on the Broadway Mall two weeks ago, Rebel Jelly is the next local act to take the stage for the City of Hornell's concert series. The quartet plays at 7 p.m. tonight on Broadway; in the event of rain, the performance will move inside the Elks Club. The band also is scheduled to play a show at Pollywogg Hollër at 2 p.m. Sunday.


Getting Johnson to stick around was a calculated plan by Gallicchio, who currently lives in Hornell. Johnson and Corey currently reside in Ithaca, and Rister is living in Brockport. He said he missed playing with Johnson, with whom he'd been a member of Rubber Soul in high school.

“I thought if I could have a couple of guys lined up to play with I could entice Kurt to stay,” Gallicchio said.

“It was definitely a good beginning,” Johnson said. “We jammed a few times and it was pretty apparent it was fun.”



The group's come a long way in a year, readying its first full-length album, due out in early September. Helping out with that recording process is another local connection. Dave Testa, an Alfred-Almond graduate and musician, is working on mastering the album. He knew Johnson and Gallicchio from the local area, and played with Rister and Corey in a band.

Testa also helped connect Gallicchio with Rister and Corey, introducing the trio.

“He asked Tony to come jam with us,” Corey said, “so he had a part in getting us together too.”



Rister said the new album is “going to be great.” The band spent four days recording the disc, and Rister said the product will offer a combination of all the sounds in the Rebel Jelly repertoire. He said it's hard to pigeonhole the band into one sound category, saying R&B, Latin and funk all figure into the mix.

“As cliché as it sounds, I don't think we have one sound,” Corey added, saying the band combines elements of funk and jazz into its unique sound. “It's relatively danceable, but it's pretty tight music.”

The members have been able to play off each other's strengths and weaknesses, making their sound that much fuller. Gallicchio's songwriting is the strength he brings to the band, Johnson said.



“When I came back from Oregon, I was really excited about the tunes he was writing,” Johnson said. “He's also developed a style of playing that people like to hear and watch.”

Gallicchio said Johnson brings a great deal of music theory knowledge to the table, allowing the group to experiment with different styles of play.

“Kurt also brings a unique voice, in terms of guitar playing and vocally,” Gallicchio said.



Corey said, in addition to adding the beat to the band's songs, he brings an honesty that is necessary to keep the group growing. Rister's strength is rhythm, but it's even much more than just being the bass player. A former drummer, he said that background allows him to free up other members of the band to play around a bit.

“I'm able to hold down the rhythm, which frees the guys up to play more freely,” Rister said. “Especially, G. Scott, it allows him to explore a little more as opposed to a drummer that's got to keep a straight groove.”

Johnson said every member of the band has developed during the past year.



“We're still getting to know each other as musicians,” he said.

“The musical conversation has gotten better,” added Gallicchio, “and the musicianship has definitely gotten stronger.”

“All I know is they're the best group of guys I've every played with,” Corey added. “I know if we keep going at it, I think something great can happen.”



“I can't describe it any other way than amazing,” Rister said of playing with the band. “They are three of the most talented guys I know, and it's absolutely an honor to play with them.”
- Evening Tribune


Discography

2007 - Full Length Debut Album is currently being mixed.
Release date is scheduled for Mid-September.

2006 - The Loft Sessions EP - in regular rotaion on:

90.7 - WETD - Alfred, NY
98.9 - The Buzz - Rochester, NY
102.7 - WEQX-FM - Jam N Toast - Manchester, VT

Video footage available at: www.myspace.com/rebeljelly

Photos

Bio

Rebel Jelly is an extremely new creation combining the spiritual guitar of Kurt Johnson, soulful keyboards of Tony Gallicchio, the thick, melodic bass of Justin Rister, and the colorful grooves of G. Scott Corey.
In just a little bit of time, the Ithaca/Rochester group has gained a dedicated fan base that is expanding. The band's mission is to offer a memorable experience to audiences by sharing and exploring a variety of genres through composition and improvisation.