BURN

Brace yourselves ...BURN is smokin' hot! Look out R&B fans, as the L.A.-based band BURN prepares to release its self-titled debut album and light the music world on fire. The 17-piece ensemble is the brainchild of musical artist, guitarist and producer Tom Pergola. Those who recognize the name may recall that his last work The Tom Pergola Project, Vol. 1 produced several hits on the MP3 charts in 2000, and the No. 1 R&B hit "Sweet and Mellow." The album also, made 1 best selling album in its genre. Pergola's new project BURN is a blend of R&B, funk and dance. He embarked on his latest feat in October of 2006, piecing together the perfect combustion of musicians and vocalists. Rehearsals began in January 2007 and since then the group has developed a signature sound that's smokin' and recorded 13 songs. "I wanted to pull together all of the elements I love in music with a lot of rhythm. I love Latin music. I love funk and R&B and I love horns," Pergola said, adding the result is better than his expectations. The instrument-focused band is larger than most contemporary R&B groups, Pergola admits, but he wanted a unique sound. "I wanted to put in all the elements I really liked and not worry about how many pieces it would be. I wasn't willing to compromise the sound for less players." The new band is the culmination of sounds that have influenced Pergola's life, combining old school, house and a Latin vibe that he attributes to his time spent playing with Charo. "We are a very high-energy band. We have seasoned musicians, many of whom have worked with big names, and band members range in age from their 20s to their 60s. I call it an old school sound with a new school twist." Leading the group are female vocalist Andrea Ballard, former singer/songwriter for the hit group "Suga and Spize" and rapper Fernando Chris Leon. The band is anchored by Pergola and his longtime friends, Sal Guglielmi (bass), Reggie Morris (keyboards) and Robert Lobato (drums). Lead vocalist Andrea Ballard brings her smooth soulful vocals to the mix. Rapper Chris Leon spits the infectious rhymes and moves that made his MDJ band popular with the L.A. nightclub circuit. "From the beginning I noticed there was a lot of chemistry between us," Leon said of the band. BURN's songs, co-written by the trio, including "Come Back", "Let it Ride" and "Round and Round" show the group's versatility. The songs run the spectrum from heartbreak to cruising and dancing. Leon's passion to create uplifting music that mixes Hip-hop and R&B without negativity is at the band's core. "We're not like a lot of the rap and hip hop that's out there and all about money, drugs and hos. We're trying to bring back that old school essence with a new school twist. It's a party on stage. We just want to make good music. Much like their musical influences Earth, Wind and Fire, James Brown, Sly and The Family Stone, Kool & the Gang and the Black Eyed Peas, BURN is hell bent on creating quality music for all. The lyrics are catchy with a feel-good groove. "We wanted to appeal to a wide variety of fans and I believe we can do that by having interesting music but with rap and lyrics that are not obscene or degrading. We can be suggestive but not over the top," Ballard said. As the front-woman, she added, that even her image is "sexy and hot" without showing too much. BURN just might ignite a music revolution. "Musicians will like BURN. People who like jazz will like BURN. Everyone is going to like BURN because there is really nothing out there like us," she said.