Universal Green

by Jonathan Mo Rales

Organic, natural growth comes to mind when one thinks of green. And like a wild weed in the bush, the roots of Universal Green are varied and deep.

And while some artists strive to stay pure to their game, others are interested in deliberately smashing the barriers and making auditory cocktails, proudly choosing to create under the influence, discarding any notions of genre classification.

Front man, vocalist, and hype master extraordinaire Darryl Green says he always wanted to be a performer, and believes in doing everything from the heart. Formerly an accomplished rollerblader and extreme performer for Disney’s Tarzan Rocks, now he says, it’s all about the music.

UG is in fact Green’s debut attempt to form a band. A novice to the music scene, Green hasn’t had to deal with the growing pains of forming a successful band many artists go through. But that has not stopped his pursuit to create music that people from all walks of life can vibe to.

The various backgrounds and influences each member of UG brings to the mix were evident from the start. Each member of UG enhances the complete sound by making their presence felt.

Marshall Malone recently produced this video during One Spark in promotion of the group.



That sound begins forming early in production when Artez Berney, producer and keyboardist creates beats— rhythms and melodies that embody the essentials of what a future song might be composed of. These beats, which Berney churns out all day laboriously, in turn keeps the other members of UG busy by feeding a steady flow of ideas to sketch on.

During rehearsal, the band jams through some of the previous riffs and the stickiest licks are rolled up into organized jams on stage and complete tracks in the studio.

When asked if genre warping improvisations could be performed live in front of an audience, the group’s response was overwhelmingly positive.

“The elements are there,” said violinist Leo Kulishevskiy, who brings a very entertaining presence to the lineup, albeit humble and disciplined. The silky strings can transplant your senses, while all at once keeping you planted in the now. It contrasts the wildly colorful antics of Green and Berney, and yet it syncs perfectly.

Green lists Prince, Bob Marley, Earth Wind and Fire, Al Green and Metallica as some of his biggest influences. Green also enjoys emulating Motörhead’s Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, as was evident during a late-night rehearsal session I sat in at Warehouse Studios, near Jacksonville’s San Marco neighborhood.

Ryan Turk, owner at Warehouse Studios knows the band pretty well and actually plays with guitarist Paige McMullen in another project, Rice. He may even be credited for creating the lineup. His recording/rehearsal studio provided the space, equipment and even some of the talent that went into UG’s EP, “Making It Happen”.

Turk says Green wasn’t really sure where he wanted to go musically when he first came to the studio. He immediately asked McMullen and Andreas to come record a rap song with Green. From that point forward, Green knew he wanted to be backed by a live band. - The Elbow

by Jonathan Mo Rales

Organic, natural growth comes to mind when one thinks of green. And like a wild weed in the bush, the roots of Universal Green are varied and deep.

And while some artists strive to stay pure to their game, others are interested in deliberately smashing the barriers and making auditory cocktails, proudly choosing to create under the influence, discarding any notions of genre classification.

Front man, vocalist, and hype master extraordinaire Darryl Green says he always wanted to be a performer, and believes in doing everything from the heart. Formerly an accomplished rollerblader and extreme performer for Disney’s Tarzan Rocks, now he says, it’s all about the music.

UG is in fact Green’s debut attempt to form a band. A novice to the music scene, Green hasn’t had to deal with the growing pains of forming a successful band many artists go through. But that has not stopped his pursuit to create music that people from all walks of life can vibe to.

The various backgrounds and influences each member of UG brings to the mix were evident from the start. Each member of UG enhances the complete sound by making their presence felt.

Marshall Malone recently produced this video during One Spark in promotion of the group.



That sound begins forming early in production when Artez Berney, producer and keyboardist creates beats— rhythms and melodies that embody the essentials of what a future song might be composed of. These beats, which Berney churns out all day laboriously, in turn keeps the other members of UG busy by feeding a steady flow of ideas to sketch on.

During rehearsal, the band jams through some of the previous riffs and the stickiest licks are rolled up into organized jams on stage and complete tracks in the studio.

When asked if genre warping improvisations could be performed live in front of an audience, the group’s response was overwhelmingly positive.

“The elements are there,” said violinist Leo Kulishevskiy, who brings a very entertaining presence to the lineup, albeit humble and disciplined. The silky strings can transplant your senses, while all at once keeping you planted in the now. It contrasts the wildly colorful antics of Green and Berney, and yet it syncs perfectly.

Green lists Prince, Bob Marley, Earth Wind and Fire, Al Green and Metallica as some of his biggest influences. Green also enjoys emulating Motörhead’s Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, as was evident during a late-night rehearsal session I sat in at Warehouse Studios, near Jacksonville’s San Marco neighborhood.

Ryan Turk, owner at Warehouse Studios knows the band pretty well and actually plays with guitarist Paige McMullen in another project, Rice. He may even be credited for creating the lineup. His recording/rehearsal studio provided the space, equipment and even some of the talent that went into UG’s EP, “Making It Happen”.

Turk says Green wasn’t really sure where he wanted to go musically when he first came to the studio. He immediately asked McMullen and Andreas to come record a rap song with Green. From that point forward, Green knew he wanted to be backed by a live band. - The Elbow

Universal Green (pictured) performs as part of the second edition of Downtown Throwdown on April 18 at Burro Bar. Downtown Throwdown is every third Thursday each month at The Elbow (corner of Bay and Ocean streets) in Downtown Jacksonville. Universal Green also plays April 19 at Mavericks at The Landing. - Folio Weekly

Music is considered by many to be a universal language. Whether it’s a rhythm on a simple drum or a complex symphony, every culture on our planet possesses some form of music.

When it comes to the culture in Northeast Florida, Darryl Green is a local musician who’s taking that idea of universal music literally with a band of musicians known as Universal Green.

“It’s a music that’ll move your body,” Green said. “It’s just not one thing or another thing. It’s really music at its essence.”

Green and his band, Universal Green, are steadily growing their following in Jacksonville with their blend of diverse musical styles, eclectic instruments and energetic stage shows.

“Yeah, I mean he mixes rap with rock with, you know, a little reggae, blues,” said James Inman, a local fan. “It’s just kind of a…a mixed sound that kind of appeals to everybody.”

According to Green, there’s more than just a mixed sound at the heart of Universal Green’s music. For Green and his band mates, being “universal” is all about heart.

“I would call my music universal, because most people think of a genre of music and you can say, “Oh I’m hip hop. Oh, I do rap. Oh, I do rhythm and blues. Oh, I do jazz,” Green said. “But at the essence of music, you’re heart tells you what to say. The beat can be whatever. But your heart’s gonna tell you what to say. And that’s what happens.

“I have rap songs. I have reggae songs. I have rock songs. I have jazz songs,” Green continued. “And I do what my heart tells me to do. So that’s why I call my music universal. Because it’s not just one thing. You’re gonna get your heart fulfilled. And that’s…that’s how I feel about it. That’s what it is.”

Green came to music after a career as a professional rollerblader, stuntman and eventually to his current job as a graphic designer. After forming a rap duo with his brother, Tez Green, he decided his heart was calling him to bigger things. And bigger things meant forming a band.

After that, things began to fall into place. It was when they were recording at a local studio that they gradually began meeting other musicians who would form the Universal Green.

The diverse style of the band is driven by the diverse backgrounds of its members. While Green calls himself the group’s voice, he shares the stage with his brother, Tez Green on vocals and keyboards, Paige McMullen and Chris Estes on guitar, Andreas Verastegui on bass, his brother, Diego Verastegui on drums, Leo Kulishevsky on violin and the band’s latest member, vocalist Mama Blue.
A seasoned performer with a musical career that’s taken her across the country and over to Europe, Mama Blue said she was originally hesitant to even sing one song with them.

“You know I made a promise to myself,” said Mama Blue. “I was like I will never sing with a hip hop band ever. And one day my friend Ryan, who runs Warehouse Music – we all work out of Warehouse music – he’s like ‘this guy named Darryl wants you to sing with him’ and I’m like ‘Is it a hip hop band?’”

After being assured that they weren’t a typical rap or hip hop act, she decided to sit in on a session with the band. That session would send her career in a new direction.

“It was like I’d been waiting for them my whole life,” Mama Blue said.

According to Green, Universal Green is working on finishing an album and recently made a big impression with shows at UNF and several shows at Jacksonville’s One Spark festival. The next step is taking the band to the bigger universe outside Jacksonville with an East Coast tour.

“Universal Green is trying to hit the road,” Green said. “Coming to a city near you. Comin’ to your area code. Comin’ to your city. Comin’ to your neighborhood. Comin’ to you block. Comin’ to your backyard. I’ll come into your room if you can get us there! And get people there to say ‘Hey, ho…let’s go.’ That’s what Universal Green is ready to do, man.” - UNF Journal

Music is considered by many to be a universal language. Whether it’s a rhythm on a simple drum or a complex symphony, every culture on our planet possesses some form of music.

When it comes to the culture in Northeast Florida, Darryl Green is a local musician who’s taking that idea of universal music literally with a band of musicians known as Universal Green.

“It’s a music that’ll move your body,” Green said. “It’s just not one thing or another thing. It’s really music at its essence.”

Green and his band, Universal Green, are steadily growing their following in Jacksonville with their blend of diverse musical styles, eclectic instruments and energetic stage shows.

“Yeah, I mean he mixes rap with rock with, you know, a little reggae, blues,” said James Inman, a local fan. “It’s just kind of a…a mixed sound that kind of appeals to everybody.”

According to Green, there’s more than just a mixed sound at the heart of Universal Green’s music. For Green and his band mates, being “universal” is all about heart.

“I would call my music universal, because most people think of a genre of music and you can say, “Oh I’m hip hop. Oh, I do rap. Oh, I do rhythm and blues. Oh, I do jazz,” Green said. “But at the essence of music, you’re heart tells you what to say. The beat can be whatever. But your heart’s gonna tell you what to say. And that’s what happens.

“I have rap songs. I have reggae songs. I have rock songs. I have jazz songs,” Green continued. “And I do what my heart tells me to do. So that’s why I call my music universal. Because it’s not just one thing. You’re gonna get your heart fulfilled. And that’s…that’s how I feel about it. That’s what it is.”

Green came to music after a career as a professional rollerblader, stuntman and eventually to his current job as a graphic designer. After forming a rap duo with his brother, Tez Green, he decided his heart was calling him to bigger things. And bigger things meant forming a band.

After that, things began to fall into place. It was when they were recording at a local studio that they gradually began meeting other musicians who would form the Universal Green.

The diverse style of the band is driven by the diverse backgrounds of its members. While Green calls himself the group’s voice, he shares the stage with his brother, Tez Green on vocals and keyboards, Paige McMullen and Chris Estes on guitar, Andreas Verastegui on bass, his brother, Diego Verastegui on drums, Leo Kulishevsky on violin and the band’s latest member, vocalist Mama Blue.
A seasoned performer with a musical career that’s taken her across the country and over to Europe, Mama Blue said she was originally hesitant to even sing one song with them.

“You know I made a promise to myself,” said Mama Blue. “I was like I will never sing with a hip hop band ever. And one day my friend Ryan, who runs Warehouse Music – we all work out of Warehouse music – he’s like ‘this guy named Darryl wants you to sing with him’ and I’m like ‘Is it a hip hop band?’”

After being assured that they weren’t a typical rap or hip hop act, she decided to sit in on a session with the band. That session would send her career in a new direction.

“It was like I’d been waiting for them my whole life,” Mama Blue said.

According to Green, Universal Green is working on finishing an album and recently made a big impression with shows at UNF and several shows at Jacksonville’s One Spark festival. The next step is taking the band to the bigger universe outside Jacksonville with an East Coast tour.

“Universal Green is trying to hit the road,” Green said. “Coming to a city near you. Comin’ to your area code. Comin’ to your city. Comin’ to your neighborhood. Comin’ to you block. Comin’ to your backyard. I’ll come into your room if you can get us there! And get people there to say ‘Hey, ho…let’s go.’ That’s what Universal Green is ready to do, man.” - UNF Journal