Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Released March 2005. Features guest appearances by John Scofield and Mike Clark. - High Note/Savant
® "Drummer Jim Payne’s album, Sensei, shows him to be the Billy Cobham or perhaps the Buddy Rich of funk drumming—his playing is crisp, precise, and technically impeccable.
The tunes are slinky, quasi-New Orleans funk, mysterioso funk, hard driving, down-home funk and ballad funk. …Payne is a model drummer and the group really has its act together."
– JazzTimes, May 2004
- JazzTimes
® "Funk is the name of the game for Jim Payne’s new CD, Sensei. All the jam band essentials are here…. Everything is rendered with style and verve…."
- Cadence Magazine, June 2004
- Cadence Magazine
® "I can highly recommend Sensei to fans of the organ trio, especially those of you with an inclination to the backbeat."
- Marty Rosen – Louisville Courier-Journal, May 2003
- Louisville Courier Journal
Discography
New CD, Énergie, featuring John Scofield and Mike Clark, released Mar. 15, 05.
1st CD, Sensei, - reached #33 on Jazz Charts. Hear sample tracks in audio section of this press kit.
Review: "Drummer Jim Payne’s album, Sensei, shows him to be the Billy Cobham or perhaps the Buddy Rich of funk drumming—his playing is crisp, precise, and technically impeccable.
The tunes are slinky, quasi-New Orleans funk, mysterioso funk, hard driving, down-home funk and ballad funk. …Payne is a model drummer and the group really has its act together."
– JazzTimes, May 2004
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Jim Payne
In his various capacities as player, producer, bandleader and writer, Jim Payne "has been around" in the world of funk.
Author of "Give The Drummers Some!," the definitive work on the history of funk drumming, Payne has had a hand in the burgeoning jam band scene in his role as producer of the first two cds by jam band idols Medeski, Martin & Wood (1993’s It’s A Jungle In Here and 1994’s Friday Afternoon in the Universe). He’s also had a longstanding relationship performing with and producing projects by ex-James Brown band members Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, and Pee Wee Ellis.
His new group is an earthy, hard-hitting organ trio that runs the stylistic gamut from vintage soul jazz to electrified P-Funk grooves; the common ground throughout being the infectious and mesmerizing power of funk.
John Scofield has this to say about the group: "This band really grooves. It's a pleasure to hear these masters of funk in action."
Fred Wesley: "I love this band and I love the CDs. They're the Boss!"
With Al Street (Sugarman 3) on guitar and Adam Klipple (Sun Ra Arkestra, John Medeski, Kurt Rosenwinkle, Dave Fiuczynski, and Smokey Robinson) on organ, Payne has assembled a flexible and formidable unit. These guys acquit themselves with requisite grease and aggression.
Jim Payne and company lay it down strong and stay strictly on the goodfoot. It’s good to hear them get up and do their thing.
-- Bill Milkowski
Bill Milkowski is a regular contributor to Jazz Times and Modern Drummer magazines. He is also the author of "JACO: The Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius" (Backbeat Books)
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