The Urban Renewal Project
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The Urban Renewal Project

Los Angeles, California, United States | SELF

Los Angeles, California, United States | SELF
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"FAME Review: Go Big or Go Home by Mark Tucker"

You’re going to need a lot of vitamins for the bulk of this one, ‘cause The Urban Renewal Project’s Go Big or Go Home is a hi-energy swingin’ affair crossing chart materials with pop with rap with often frantic horns in a small big band format (14 members!) and then punched up everywhere, even when they’re being relatively mellow (Rooftops and Parking Lots, etc.). The format is glossy (xlnt engineering work) but cuts right through the usual bullshit such an atmosphere is normally reserved for, clearing away cellophane noise for a very upbeat positivist vibe. ‘Sides, the bass trombone and its fellow horns tack down the bottom end well…and that bass ‘bone is a kick, kinda like a more agile tuba.

There’s a bit of the Either/Orchestra here, enough incidental post-modern inflection to mildly shock ya, a little Ordinaires, Gatsby era floozy swing, Blood Sweat & Tears laybacks, and whoever’s writing the horn charts (appears to be R.W. Enoch) thinks in five different layers. The interpolation of rap is interesting, making it one flavor among many rather than allowing the mode to take over, which usually happens with such fusions. Kenny Nealy’s the band’s vocalist, a sparky lad with smooth delivery dancing on the border of soul and jazz while Logic The Topic, sitting in on most of the CD, raps the monotonic contrast, the two jumping back and forth, Nealy kicking in asides to Logic’s deliveries. The band’s all the while going harmonically crazy.

Dig this, though: the disc was recorded with the entire band in one room, no synthesized anything, and minimal edits. How the engineer got that clean and well defined a sound is anybody’s guess, it shouldn’t be possible, but there it is. This is one of those old school live-in-studio gigs flawlessly performed, the sort of thing that used to be done for audiophile vinyl sessions back in the day, and just the kind of thing that needs to be more common. Captures a vibe transcending all the mail-it-in discs with musicians showing up at the boards solo over a period of months just to finish one damn song, f’chrissakes.

For a debut, Go Big or Go Home will rock ya. At the moment, these guys have a monthly gig at the Hollywood House of Blues on Sunset Blvd., but they could appear on stage anywhere with any big band in the biz and get heels kickin’ up in short order. Young bastards too, so God only knows what delightful hell they’ll be raising five years from now. The mouth waters. Move over, Glenn Miller and Manhattan Transfer, it’s a new day, and for an intro, y’all, catch this infectious vid:

But what the hell’s the dealy with Nealy in the CD’s liner photos, appearing without pants, Speedo banana hammock swingin’ in the breeze? Damned jaybird cut-up. Hilarious! - Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange


"FAME Review: Go Big or Go Home by Mark Tucker"

You’re going to need a lot of vitamins for the bulk of this one, ‘cause The Urban Renewal Project’s Go Big or Go Home is a hi-energy swingin’ affair crossing chart materials with pop with rap with often frantic horns in a small big band format (14 members!) and then punched up everywhere, even when they’re being relatively mellow (Rooftops and Parking Lots, etc.). The format is glossy (xlnt engineering work) but cuts right through the usual bullshit such an atmosphere is normally reserved for, clearing away cellophane noise for a very upbeat positivist vibe. ‘Sides, the bass trombone and its fellow horns tack down the bottom end well…and that bass ‘bone is a kick, kinda like a more agile tuba.

There’s a bit of the Either/Orchestra here, enough incidental post-modern inflection to mildly shock ya, a little Ordinaires, Gatsby era floozy swing, Blood Sweat & Tears laybacks, and whoever’s writing the horn charts (appears to be R.W. Enoch) thinks in five different layers. The interpolation of rap is interesting, making it one flavor among many rather than allowing the mode to take over, which usually happens with such fusions. Kenny Nealy’s the band’s vocalist, a sparky lad with smooth delivery dancing on the border of soul and jazz while Logic The Topic, sitting in on most of the CD, raps the monotonic contrast, the two jumping back and forth, Nealy kicking in asides to Logic’s deliveries. The band’s all the while going harmonically crazy.

Dig this, though: the disc was recorded with the entire band in one room, no synthesized anything, and minimal edits. How the engineer got that clean and well defined a sound is anybody’s guess, it shouldn’t be possible, but there it is. This is one of those old school live-in-studio gigs flawlessly performed, the sort of thing that used to be done for audiophile vinyl sessions back in the day, and just the kind of thing that needs to be more common. Captures a vibe transcending all the mail-it-in discs with musicians showing up at the boards solo over a period of months just to finish one damn song, f’chrissakes.

For a debut, Go Big or Go Home will rock ya. At the moment, these guys have a monthly gig at the Hollywood House of Blues on Sunset Blvd., but they could appear on stage anywhere with any big band in the biz and get heels kickin’ up in short order. Young bastards too, so God only knows what delightful hell they’ll be raising five years from now. The mouth waters. Move over, Glenn Miller and Manhattan Transfer, it’s a new day, and for an intro, y’all, catch this infectious vid:

But what the hell’s the dealy with Nealy in the CD’s liner photos, appearing without pants, Speedo banana hammock swingin’ in the breeze? Damned jaybird cut-up. Hilarious! - Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange


"The Urban Renewal Project - Go Big or Go Home by Brent Black"

Go Big Or Go Home from The Urban Renewal Project puts the paddles to big band music with the end result as possibly one of the most exciting hybrid releases to come along in some time! Take traditional big band with a fat and tasty horn section then fuse in some funk, pop and may god have mercy on my musical soul - some hip hop and you have a band that is tight and a groove you can use!

As a closet musical purist I tend to run the other way when hip hop makes an appearance on any jazz oriented release, the translation is usually incomplete with the end result as musical stripped gears on my sonic transmission but...not here! Rap lyrics by Logic The Topic, seven well penned originals by bandleader R.W. Enoch and two covers from The Pixies and Gorillaz fast forward a stale and well worn genre back to the new millennium with a flash fried funk that transcends genre boundaries and raises the bar for a great many ensembles that are merely pretenders when they attempt a release even close. The Urban Renewal Project is indeed the real deal!

Vocalist Kenny Neely and poet in residence Logic the Topic kick the party off with a blistering yet deceptively cool “Night Gig.” Spot on vocals with an infectious hip hop flavor backed by a band that is tighter than tight is indeed a righteous groove. This is a contemporary swing band that plays music you hear with your hips and feel with your feet. “Party Time” with a rock steady beat articulated with that fat horn sounds laid under Neely and Logic the Topic has some potential cross over possibilities if commercial radio can lighten up what is left of the same cast of characters dominating the jazz air waves. “Don’t Let It End” fuses big band horns with a reggae back beat and Lemar Guillary on trombone for an infectious closer to what could easily be a sleeper for a great many fans as it reaches across the aisle and should appeal to a wide ranging audience.

The best part of Go Big Or Go Home? No synthesizers were harmed during the recording of this release! One band, all in the same room with minimal editing for a warm all most analog sound that is letting their brand of old school quickly become new cool.

Love it! 5 Stars - @CriticalJazz (Blog)


"The Urban Renewal Project - Go Big or Go Home by Brent Black"

Go Big Or Go Home from The Urban Renewal Project puts the paddles to big band music with the end result as possibly one of the most exciting hybrid releases to come along in some time! Take traditional big band with a fat and tasty horn section then fuse in some funk, pop and may god have mercy on my musical soul - some hip hop and you have a band that is tight and a groove you can use!

As a closet musical purist I tend to run the other way when hip hop makes an appearance on any jazz oriented release, the translation is usually incomplete with the end result as musical stripped gears on my sonic transmission but...not here! Rap lyrics by Logic The Topic, seven well penned originals by bandleader R.W. Enoch and two covers from The Pixies and Gorillaz fast forward a stale and well worn genre back to the new millennium with a flash fried funk that transcends genre boundaries and raises the bar for a great many ensembles that are merely pretenders when they attempt a release even close. The Urban Renewal Project is indeed the real deal!

Vocalist Kenny Neely and poet in residence Logic the Topic kick the party off with a blistering yet deceptively cool “Night Gig.” Spot on vocals with an infectious hip hop flavor backed by a band that is tighter than tight is indeed a righteous groove. This is a contemporary swing band that plays music you hear with your hips and feel with your feet. “Party Time” with a rock steady beat articulated with that fat horn sounds laid under Neely and Logic the Topic has some potential cross over possibilities if commercial radio can lighten up what is left of the same cast of characters dominating the jazz air waves. “Don’t Let It End” fuses big band horns with a reggae back beat and Lemar Guillary on trombone for an infectious closer to what could easily be a sleeper for a great many fans as it reaches across the aisle and should appeal to a wide ranging audience.

The best part of Go Big Or Go Home? No synthesizers were harmed during the recording of this release! One band, all in the same room with minimal editing for a warm all most analog sound that is letting their brand of old school quickly become new cool.

Love it! 5 Stars - @CriticalJazz (Blog)


"Music Review by Jack Goodstein"

The Urban Renewal Project, Los Angeles-based big band is set to release its first full length album, Go Big or Go Home, September 18, 2012. And believe me, if you’re into dynamite horns laid over funky bass and rippling vocals spiced with rap, you want to rush out and get your copy. Hell, if you’re into fantastic music, you’ll want this album.

URP is a 12 piece band led by tenor sax man R.W. Enoch, Jr. who also composed seven of the album’s nine tracks and arranged the whole disc. The band’s vocalist is Kenny Neely, who, perhaps to demonstrate that he is not your run of the mill band singer, appears in the liner photos sans pants. He is joined on six tracks by rapper, Logic the Topic. The band itself includes alto (Alex Myers), soprano (Brian Clements), and baritone (Matt Ballard) saxes along with Enoch’s tenor, three trumpets (Max O’Leary and Eliot Deutsch, Jeff Collins and Vinny Dawson split the tracks) two trombones (Ryan Dragon and Lemar Guillary) and a bass trombone (Michael King). There is also some doubling on flute, piccolo, and flugelhorn. Michael McFadden plays electric bass and Scott Spongberg is on drums and percussion. I mention them all because their steller work deserves to be recognized. These guys are players.

According to the liner notes, they recorded all together except for the vocals in one room with limited editing and not a synthesizer in sight. When you hear the results you have to wonder why more bands don’t follow suit. There is an ensemble energy in their performance that too often gets lost in overproduction. It just goes to show there is still something to be said for the old ways of doing things.

“Night Gig” opens the album. It is a tune that has echoes of Steely Dan before Logic joins with Neely for a little rapping and then the band shows just what it means to be cool. It is a good indication of what is on tap, and a video is available on the net, so you can get a good idea of what the URP sound is like. “Transamerican” also has something of a Steely Dan vibe. “Rooftops & Parking Lots” is a kind of duet for Neely and Logic, until the band itself settles things down a bit and then joins in with a vocalese chorus. “Metro Girl” brings back the band’s cool side.

“Party Time” has a rocking beat and some nice work from Logic. Neely’s vocal is sweet against some swinging horns at the end. “What I Do” takes the opportunity to introduce the members of the band while it keeps the excitement going. The covers on the album are the Gorillaz’ “Feel Good, Inc,” which begins with a funky vibe and then brightens, and The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?” URP makes the Pixies original sound kind of sleepy. The album ends ironically with “Don’t Let It End,” a song that would remind you of the big swing bands of the past if it weren’t for the reggae background.

Jazz, funk, pop? “We’re not really sure what it’s called,” the band says about their music in the liner notes. Me? I’m sure what it’s called. It’s called great. - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reprinted from BlogCritics


"Music Review by Jack Goodstein"

The Urban Renewal Project, Los Angeles-based big band is set to release its first full length album, Go Big or Go Home, September 18, 2012. And believe me, if you’re into dynamite horns laid over funky bass and rippling vocals spiced with rap, you want to rush out and get your copy. Hell, if you’re into fantastic music, you’ll want this album.

URP is a 12 piece band led by tenor sax man R.W. Enoch, Jr. who also composed seven of the album’s nine tracks and arranged the whole disc. The band’s vocalist is Kenny Neely, who, perhaps to demonstrate that he is not your run of the mill band singer, appears in the liner photos sans pants. He is joined on six tracks by rapper, Logic the Topic. The band itself includes alto (Alex Myers), soprano (Brian Clements), and baritone (Matt Ballard) saxes along with Enoch’s tenor, three trumpets (Max O’Leary and Eliot Deutsch, Jeff Collins and Vinny Dawson split the tracks) two trombones (Ryan Dragon and Lemar Guillary) and a bass trombone (Michael King). There is also some doubling on flute, piccolo, and flugelhorn. Michael McFadden plays electric bass and Scott Spongberg is on drums and percussion. I mention them all because their steller work deserves to be recognized. These guys are players.

According to the liner notes, they recorded all together except for the vocals in one room with limited editing and not a synthesizer in sight. When you hear the results you have to wonder why more bands don’t follow suit. There is an ensemble energy in their performance that too often gets lost in overproduction. It just goes to show there is still something to be said for the old ways of doing things.

“Night Gig” opens the album. It is a tune that has echoes of Steely Dan before Logic joins with Neely for a little rapping and then the band shows just what it means to be cool. It is a good indication of what is on tap, and a video is available on the net, so you can get a good idea of what the URP sound is like. “Transamerican” also has something of a Steely Dan vibe. “Rooftops & Parking Lots” is a kind of duet for Neely and Logic, until the band itself settles things down a bit and then joins in with a vocalese chorus. “Metro Girl” brings back the band’s cool side.

“Party Time” has a rocking beat and some nice work from Logic. Neely’s vocal is sweet against some swinging horns at the end. “What I Do” takes the opportunity to introduce the members of the band while it keeps the excitement going. The covers on the album are the Gorillaz’ “Feel Good, Inc,” which begins with a funky vibe and then brightens, and The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?” URP makes the Pixies original sound kind of sleepy. The album ends ironically with “Don’t Let It End,” a song that would remind you of the big swing bands of the past if it weren’t for the reggae background.

Jazz, funk, pop? “We’re not really sure what it’s called,” the band says about their music in the liner notes. Me? I’m sure what it’s called. It’s called great. - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reprinted from BlogCritics


"Big Band Caravan by Jack Bowers"

High-energy music by the California-based Urban Renewal Project, a thirteen-member ensemble that continues the trend of moving contemporary jazz in new and unconfined directions. Whether that is good or bad is a matter of taste and opinion. Perhaps the first issue to be resolved is why one member of the Project dropped his pants before posing for the inner jacket’s group photographs. Clearly, he is making a statement of some kind, but it remains in the eye of the beholder to determine what that may be. The same is true in some respects of the music itself, which, while quite well played, is by no means canonical, employing a rapper, Logic the Topic (a.k.a. Elmer Demond Logan), to provide insight on six of the album’s nine selections, the lyrics for which he also wrote. The songs on which Logic doesn’t appear (and those on which he does) include additional vocals by Kenny Neely. In other words, there are no completely instrumental tracks.

Speaking of the lyrics, even though they are central to the purpose, they are, much like the words to many modern songs, employed more for effect than clarity. This is especially true of the raps, which would have to be replayed at a much slower speed to impart any meaning whatsoever. On the other hand, perhaps they are caressing ears that are unready to apprehend their hidden purpose. Turning to the instrumental side, tenor saxophonist R.W. Enoch Jr. wrote seven of the nine numbers and arranged the other two, “Where Is My Mind?” and “Feel Good, Inc.” He’s also one of several soloists (none of whom is named) along with trombonist Lemar Guillary and trumpet / flugel Eliot Deutsch (who leads his own West Coast big band).

Although the ensemble embodies three trumpets, two trombones and four reeds, it evinces a small-group vibe, perhaps because the vocals are more central to the design than its instrumental component. Guillary is given relatively free reign on the rhythmic “Don’t Let It End,” on which percussionist Scott Spongberg uses what sound like steel drums to good effect. Elsewhere, the solos are brief but serviceable. As noted, opinions about Go Big or Go Home should vary widely, depending on how conservative or broad-minded the listener may be. Rather than sit in judgment, it is more prudent to emphasize that the music relies heavily on vocals and on rap, and that solos are for the most part insignificant. If that sort of arrangement pleases you, go for it. - AllAboutJazz.com


"Big Band Caravan by Jack Bowers"

High-energy music by the California-based Urban Renewal Project, a thirteen-member ensemble that continues the trend of moving contemporary jazz in new and unconfined directions. Whether that is good or bad is a matter of taste and opinion. Perhaps the first issue to be resolved is why one member of the Project dropped his pants before posing for the inner jacket’s group photographs. Clearly, he is making a statement of some kind, but it remains in the eye of the beholder to determine what that may be. The same is true in some respects of the music itself, which, while quite well played, is by no means canonical, employing a rapper, Logic the Topic (a.k.a. Elmer Demond Logan), to provide insight on six of the album’s nine selections, the lyrics for which he also wrote. The songs on which Logic doesn’t appear (and those on which he does) include additional vocals by Kenny Neely. In other words, there are no completely instrumental tracks.

Speaking of the lyrics, even though they are central to the purpose, they are, much like the words to many modern songs, employed more for effect than clarity. This is especially true of the raps, which would have to be replayed at a much slower speed to impart any meaning whatsoever. On the other hand, perhaps they are caressing ears that are unready to apprehend their hidden purpose. Turning to the instrumental side, tenor saxophonist R.W. Enoch Jr. wrote seven of the nine numbers and arranged the other two, “Where Is My Mind?” and “Feel Good, Inc.” He’s also one of several soloists (none of whom is named) along with trombonist Lemar Guillary and trumpet / flugel Eliot Deutsch (who leads his own West Coast big band).

Although the ensemble embodies three trumpets, two trombones and four reeds, it evinces a small-group vibe, perhaps because the vocals are more central to the design than its instrumental component. Guillary is given relatively free reign on the rhythmic “Don’t Let It End,” on which percussionist Scott Spongberg uses what sound like steel drums to good effect. Elsewhere, the solos are brief but serviceable. As noted, opinions about Go Big or Go Home should vary widely, depending on how conservative or broad-minded the listener may be. Rather than sit in judgment, it is more prudent to emphasize that the music relies heavily on vocals and on rap, and that solos are for the most part insignificant. If that sort of arrangement pleases you, go for it. - AllAboutJazz.com


Discography

2013 - "My Own Way" Single
2012 - "Go Big or Go Home" LP
2011 - "Stop Me" EP

Photos

Bio

The Urban Renewal Project is a 12-piece big band out of Los Angeles that blends the boundaries of traditional genres into a danceable funky mix of styles from pop & rock to jazz & reggae.

The band features the talents of numerous vocalists, including jazz singer Aubrey Logan and virtuoso free-style artist Elmer Demond. They've played around California since 2010 at venues including L.A.'s House of Blues, the Baked Potato, and Savanna Jazz in San Francisco.

The Urban Renewal Project released its first full-length album Go Big or Go Home in 2012. The album features 7 originals by bandleader R.W. Enoch with rap lyrics from Elmer Demond, as well as "Where Is My Mind?" by Pixies and "Feel Good, Inc." by Gorillaz. The recording was met with critical praise from publications including the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and All About Jazz, and can be found everywhere online!