Water Seed

"as a taster for the album these tracks are great, good mellow, soulful music, and real music to with excellent production and musicianship."
- Mike Ashley, Life and Soul - Life and Soul

"grabs us with the freshness and sense of promise that we remember from the first few great releases of the Atlanta scene back in the late 90s!"
- Dusty Groove - Dusty Groove

"The rhythm section next, funks things up with You'll Come and Turn you On. Just try to stop knodding your head on these ones."
- Jazz and Soul - Jazz and Soul

Looking for a better way to spend a Thursday night than bar-hopping in Buckhead? Stop by the Center Stage Music Complex to help celebrate Atlanta’s own Water Seed and their latest release, Fresh.
The group, which relocated from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, combines jazz, funk and rock into a technically magnificent yet soulful mix that begs to be danced to. Fresh, Water Seed’s third release, builds on the foundation the group set since bursting onto the underground scene in 2006. Above bass lines that can only be described as chonky and Lou Hill’s staccato percussion compositions, lead vocalist Shaleyah has the pipes to stand out. Add the flute stylings of Cinese that rival, if not better, both Ron Burgundy and Jethro Tull, and it’s an intoxicating concoction that as separate parts is powerful, but perfectly balances as a whole.
Water Seed has made rounds throughout the southeast, as well as played in New Orleans’ famed Jazz and Heritage Festival and the African American Festival on the National Lawn in DC. Not to mention a three month residence in Russia. Yeah, Russia. Bad ass, right?
Jodine Dorce, of lifestyle site Jodine’s Corner, will be the night’s MC. DJ Salah Ananse, Khari Green and band and Carmen Rodgers with provide additional music, and the night will be kicked off with a special performance by Slick&Rose.
The event begins at 9 p.m. – doors open at 8 p.m. – at Vinyl in the Center Stage Music Complex in Midtown. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the box office, Moods Music in L5P, www.ticketalternative.com or www.waterseedmusic.com. - Culture Mob

Waterseed to Celebrate Vibrant New CD at Vinyl
Nov 17th 2010 4:45PM / by Star Watson

After hearing the new album by Atlanta-based funk/rock/soul fusion band Waterseed, one would have no choice but to celebrate their newest material at the Vinyl tomorrow night.

Describing their sound as "futuristic ... A new school-sounding Earth, Wind and Fire," Waterseed provides a rare template to today's music -- live instrumentation. "We want to bring back the days of live instrumentation happening in music, and provide a forward-thinking type of music," flutist Cinese says.

On their new album Fresh, they give a taste of their unique ability to sound futuristic with the simplest of instruments -- guitar, piano, and even a flute. Their uptempo sound does give off an Earth, Wind and Fire-type vibe, but they separate themselves with classier singing from the lead vocalist, Shaleyah. Fresh is an appropriate title for the album. It's vibrant and loud like Prince, but soulful enough to gain more than any other fast-paced R&B music.

Not only is their musicianship noteworthy, but the lyrical content within this album is what really propels Waterseed into the Atlanta spotlight as one of the local acts to watch. On Fresh, they bring an optimism that is unseen in music nowadays, unless it's extremely sexual. This group has a grown and sexy appeal, projecting content revolving around faith, love, and having good, clean fun.

Their album possesses an uninterrupted stream of consciousness originating from their aim to keep their sound pure, even through bringing individual ideas together. "Each song lends its own individual sound. Like if I wrote something, we each sort of tweak it so that we all can create and improve up on it," Cinese says. "We just vibe off each other while sitting in the studio, really."

In celebration of their first studio-recorded album, Waterseed will headline The Vinyl with special guests Carmen Rodgers and Slick & Rose. The first thing they want people to know is that it won't be an ordinary concert. "We're not just there to sing a song, we want people to participate, dance, clap or whatever, even on our stage," Cinese says. "It's gonna be a high-energy show where people will have fun with us."
Thurs., Nov. 18, Doors open 9pm; $10
Vinyl, 1374 W. Peachtree St., N.W., 404-875-9364 - Aol

I got a chance to hear a little bit of a Water Seed live show - via CD Baby. I was preparing to write my review of the band's latest release, the very good Fresh. I listened to the joint and liked what I heard, but I needed to augment my opinions with something...so I went all over the Internet - YouTube, iTunes, anywhere - just looking for anything I can learn about this band. I got to their web page and also to previous SoulTracks articles, where I learned that Water Seed moved from New Orleans to Atlanta in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I also found their live CD titled Early For the Future where I saw a familiar title - a cover version of Cherelle's "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On." Robert Palmer, of course, covered that song, most famously. The Water Seed version was a live funk version, and iTunes only gave me 30 seconds of it, which is 30 seconds more than I got from YouTube.

Finally, I went to CD Baby where I couldn't hear the nine tracks on Early For The Future, but at least I heard extended excerpts. That was enough for me to realize that a studio record doesn't do this band justice. That being said, Fresh is pretty good. Every track on this CD is solid. My two favorites are "Missin' You" and "Magnificent." The band included a live version of "Missin' You" on Early For The Future. The live version has more of a neo-soul vibe while the version featured on Fresh combines that with flecks of jazz. Both feature the silky vocals on lead singer Shaleyah and the flute work of Cinese.

Shaleyah imbues the vocals on the breezy "Magnificent" with a kind of Minnie Ripperton feel. The hip-hop/dance track "Starz In My Bedroom" is a tip of the hat the Water Seed's adopted hometown. The combination singing and rapid fire rapping and the far out imagery gives the song an Outkast feel.

Hurricane Katrina was the biggest natural disaster that took place in this country during my lifetime. The storm created a Diaspora of musicians who spread out across the country to escape its destruction, and in many ways what has been a loss for New Orleans has been a gain for the rest of the nation. We not only get a chance to hear these excellent musicians, but groups like Water Seed serve to expand the nation's understanding of the music of New Orleans. That music encompasses funk, rock, gospel, classical and world music along with the jazz and blues that made the city famous. That musical gumbo can be heard in Water Seed's music, and it goes down just as easy. Highly Recommended

By Howard Dukes
- Soultracks

After hearing the new album by Atlanta-based funk/rock/soul fusion band Waterseed, one would have no choice but to celebrate their newest material at the Vinyl tomorrow night.

Describing their sound as "futuristic ... A new school-sounding Earth, Wind and Fire," Waterseed provides a rare template to today's music -- live instrumentation. "We want to bring back the days of live instrumentation happening in music, and provide a forward-thinking type of music," flutist Cinese says.

On their new album Fresh, they give a taste of their unique ability to sound futuristic with the simplest of instruments -- guitar, piano, and even a flute. Their uptempo sound does give off an Earth, Wind and Fire-type vibe, but they separate themselves with classier singing from the lead vocalist, Shaleyah. Fresh is an appropriate title for the album. It's vibrant and loud like Prince, but soulful enough to gain more than any other fast-paced R&B music.

Not only is their musicianship noteworthy, but the lyrical content within this album is what really propels Waterseed into the Atlanta spotlight as one of the local acts to watch. On Fresh, they bring an optimism that is unseen in music nowadays, unless it's extremely sexual. This group has a grown and sexy appeal, projecting content revolving around faith, love, and having good, clean fun.

Their album possesses an uninterrupted stream of consciousness originating from their aim to keep their sound pure, even through bringing individual ideas together. "Each song lends its own individual sound. Like if I wrote something, we each sort of tweak it so that we all can create and improve up on it," Cinese says. "We just vibe off each other while sitting in the studio, really."

In celebration of their first studio-recorded album, Waterseed will headline The Vinyl with special guests Carmen Rodgers and Slick & Rose. The first thing they want people to know is that it won't be an ordinary concert. "We're not just there to sing a song, we want people to participate, dance, clap or whatever, even on our stage," Cinese says. "It's gonna be a high-energy show where people will have fun with us." - American Online

Looking for a better way to spend a Thursday night than bar-hopping in Buckhead? Stop by the Center Stage Music Complex to help celebrate Atlanta’s own Water Seed and their latest release, Fresh.
The group, which relocated from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, combines jazz, funk and rock into a technically magnificent yet soulful mix that begs to be danced to. Fresh, Water Seed’s third release, builds on the foundation the group set since bursting onto the underground scene in 2006. Above bass lines that can only be described as chonky and Lou Hill’s staccato percussion compositions, lead vocalist Shaleyah has the pipes to stand out. Add the flute stylings of Cinese that rival, if not better, both Ron Burgundy and Jethro Tull, and it’s an intoxicating concoction that as separate parts is powerful, but perfectly balances as a whole.
Water Seed has made rounds throughout the southeast, as well as played in New Orleans’ famed Jazz and Heritage Festival and the African American Festival on the National Lawn in DC. Not to mention a three month residence in Russia. Yeah, Russia. Bad ass, right? - Culture Mob

Check out this podcast on Creative Loafing's website. Creative Loafing is Atlanta's largest alternative paper.

http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/audiofloss/ - Carlton Hargro

http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=299666

The one to watch: Water seed

Relocated New Orleans soul group

BY RODNEY CARMICHAEL

Published 09.05.07

EVENT: Water Seed opens for Janelle Monae at Wednesday WindDown, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, at Centennial Park (285 International Blvd.). It's also at Cafe Noir (264 Peters St.) Friday nights.

REASON TO WATCH: Water Seed is a band of New Orleans natives who relocated their salt-seasoned soul to Atlanta in Hurricane Katrina's wake. The group's live show delivers with a Creole mix of funk, jazz, rock 'n' rhythm.

LAST SEEN: Performing for a packed house at the Apache Café Aug. 17, where the band recorded a live CD to be released at a later date

WHAT THEY SAY: "It's something about coming up in New Orleans and being a New Orleans musician," says Crescent City native and band founder Lou Hill. "We're serious about people getting up, partying and having a good time at the shows. It's cool if you snap your fingers for two or three songs, but for the most part we're [about] perfecting intense live shows in the tradition of street music in New Orleans. Just the whole energy of that city is about rhythm and moving, and that's what we bring to our shows."

WHAT'S NEXT: Their second studio disc, Wonder Love, should be out in time to make a hot holiday stocking stuffer. For more information, visit www.waterseedmusic.com. - Creative Loafing

Now it's your turn to step into the Spotlight! That's right... Starting Monday, December 31, 2007 and running throughout the entire week, your EPK will be featured in the Sonicbids Video Spotlight. We dig your music and your EPK looks great, so we thought we'd share it with everyone who visits the Sonicbids homepage. - Sonicbids

Water Seed - Early for the Future

The Water Seed Music Group
Recorded during their legendary performance at Atlanta’s historic Apache Café, Early for the Future showcases these musicians at their absolute best. Not since the progressive, melodious tunes of Atlanta’s own Arrested Development has there been a group whose album proves to be so uplifting for the listener. Whether it’s the blissfully empowering “Dance in the Sunshine,” or the redemption jam, “I’m Tryin’,” Lou, Ryan, J Sharp, Cenise and Marius offer hope that music for the sake of music does still exist. gavin philip godfrey
- Rolling Out

Water Seed

By Amena Brown

Photo by Dean Hesse


Gumbo starts off simple enough: begin with a little flour and oil to create a strong roux; throw a few choice ingredients into the mix, each with their own strength and flavor, and you may create something that will dance a mean two-step on your taste buds.

New Orleans-bred band Water Seed can tell a tale or two about gumbo. Founded by three New Orleans-born musicians (founder and drummer Lou Hill, pianist J Sharp, and bass player Marius Tilton), Water Seed has been adding flavor to their blend of soul, jazz and funk music since they found the inspiration for the band’s name.

“We wanted the music to shape the name, not the name to shape the music,” says Hill. “Water represents knowledge and the seed represents growth. In the band, any new piece of knowledge we get we are always challenging ourselves to grow from it. We’re always trying to grow.”

Water Seed grew roots in New Orleans, performing regularly at the French Quarter’s Cafe Brazil. Hurricane Katrina and the city’s impending evacuation found Tilton, Hill, and Sharp settling in Atlanta, navigating and networking in the city’s music scene.

“When we introduced ourselves as New Orleans musicians we had instant credibility, which was a blessing to us,” says Sharp. “All we had to was back it up.”

Now calling Atlanta home, the band has added vocalist Ryan Johnson and classically-trained flautist Cenise Stinson. Stinson brings expertise on an instrument that is rarely found in a jazz soul band and Johnson, who performed in The Atlanta Opera‘s Aida, adds a rich, pure vocal to the band’s already fluid sound.

“I’m fairly new to the style of music that we do. Opera used to be my thing,” says Johnson. “As far as I can see, Atlanta is really growing in its music scene and it has a lot of opportunity. Sometimes, you just have to knock down the walls to get there.”

“I’ve lived in L.A. and D.C. for the most part. Coming from California originally, I dealt more with the classical scene and concert music in general, says Stinson. “In coming to Atlanta, it’s kind of a melting pot for both coasts. You’re able to see the classical side, but you’re starting to see things come from different areas. Since I’ve been in Water Seed, I’ve definitely been learning a lot.”

“If we add a kazoo player, that kazoo player is going to change the direction of the band,” says Hill. “Whether we hire somebody or somebody wants to come into the band, we add that person because there’s something independently they’ve been doing that we like and we’d like to see it infused.”

Each member of Water Seed brings the roux of their origin to create a mix that any audience can feel by the first note. Atlanta has added its own flavorful impression on Water Seed’s music and creative process.

“God moves in the way he chooses to move,” says Hill. “I did not pick Atlanta. God has this band here right now for a reason and that’s not just lip service. We have truly been blessed in the amount of attention and momentum we’ve gained and we respect the people that have been here for years, making it easier for us to kind of stand on their shoulders to get where we need to get.”

Water Seed has had time to grow and learn and with their new album Wonder Love, the band hopes to offer their listeners a taste of what they’ve been brewing for years. With Wonder Love, Water Seed hopes to create a story, not just about falling in love, but the impact of love as a movement. Like any good gumbo that has had its fair share of simmering, Water Seed’s music is ripe for the listening.

“We just take the influences we have and put it all in the pot and see what we get. Lots of bands take their influences from different places and create a fusion,” says Sharp. “Just like you don’t eat anybody’s potato salad; it’s all got the same stuff in it, but it’s about that certain balance and this is the balance that we have. Maybe this is a potato salad they can eat.”

www.myspace.com/waterseed
- Performer Magazine

There's a lot more than Two Words on this set -- as Water Seed have a heck of a lot to say, and a wonderfully soulful way of saying it! The album's lean on packaging, but really full on sound -- a warm blend of jazzy and soulful influences that percolate together with an organic warmth that's really tremendous, and which grabs us with the freshness and sense of promise that we remember from the first few great releases of the Atlanta scene back in the late 90s! There's a positive, focused feel to the whole album -- one that quickly makes us forgive the lack of a proper jewel case package -- and although the set's billed as an EP, it does feature a total of 7 tracks in all, all of them plenty darn great. Female vocals, warm instrumentation, and a nice jazzy undercurrent -- on tracks that include "More Than Natural", "I'm Trying", "Dance In The Sunshine", "I Need U", "Pressin (remix)", and "Love Somebody". - Dusty Groove America

Water Seed is the recipient of a 2003 Undiscovered Artist Award (M.B.S.T.I.A.) in the catergory of Best Musician R/B Funk.
Water Seed received three nominations in the R/B Catergory for Best Songwriter, Best Singer, and Best Musician. Congrats!!!!! - IAR Music