Now i know cat empire arnt just jazz...some may say there not even jazz but this up coming aussie band have a got a unique blend of awesome music... and i as a sax and piano/keyboard player and song writer really appreciate there work...what are your opinions of them???????
They are more of a r&b band, that take inspiration from the styles of ska, rock, and hip hop, but still try to remain within pop music. (Many of their single show this lean towards pop music, and even certain B side tracks).
However, they have recently released an album called "Cities" under the entity of The Cat Empire, and have essentially done an album full of a r&b inspired tunes.
I tend to disagree...two shoes had a cuban feel to it(being recorded in cuba and all)and self titled and cities influences are from different countries as well i dont think its rnb oriented....but to each his own...and well there not really pop i dont think. they've only had two real hits and that wasn't intentional...but no there not full jazz but i think their music lends itself to that....listen to sol y sombre of two shoes the piano solo is simple but affective
R&B, as far as I'm concerned, stands for "rhythm and blues", and it is a broad term for a style of music; it encapsulate many sub-category into the one catergory. The Cuban influences of "Two Shoes", although latin orientated, are still rhythm and blues. However, there many occasions there is fusion. The Cat Empire are predominantly r&b, but also have songs in different styles (as you mentioned with the latin styles, etc). They have also done songs in
Ska - ie: The Chariot, Two Shoes, Saltwater
Trad Greek - ie: Red Wine
"Cities" was really a mixed bag: it had songs written in many different influences in mind. Because of this, the band decided that it contained attributes that are not normally associated with the Cat Empire, and decided to release the album under the name "The Cat Empire Project".
I don't like see songs as hits, as popular taste does not neccessarily reflect on quality of the song. Also, I don't like the use of the word "jazz", because anything can be considered as "jazz". There are many categories of "jazz", and r&b is one of them. So is funk, bebop, bop, fusion, and swing. However, by branding something as "jazz" is too much of a generalisation. In fact, as far as I am concerned, "Jazz" does not really exist anymore: it's just a word that is used to describe the styles of music that have evolved from the work songs and spiritual song sung by black slaves during the 19th Century in America.
i saw cat empire a couple of weekends ago and got to talk to them after the show and i asked them wat they would classify themselves as, and they said they try not to put themselves into boxes but like to remain free and just do what they want and play what ever inspires them. Ollie the keys player listens to people like herbie hancock and keith jarret so there is still some jazz influences in there music
ive just got into some old rnb and i know where ur coming from some of the horn section stuff is really similiar and i agree with u on the generilisation, i shouldnt of generalised like that but i think we are agreed now
I didn't know Cat empire were so famous, I'm from Melbourne Australia where they are from and have met these guys playing around in the same scene.
They do have a side project which is a lot more jazz / improvisation oriented, instead of trying to be accessible pop, I don't think they play outside of Melbourne with that one. And there is a lot of good bands there that you can see they got there influences from. One is 'The Hoodangers' which is the best band in the world but doesn't have as wide a commercial appeal, it is a old style jazz band (trumpet, clarinet, trombone /vocals, banjo, bass, drums.) that are influenced by ska and reggae and soul and jazz, and they really use Aussie accents. (Most commercial singers in Australia try to sound american, or can't help sounding American, but if you sound american in Australia, you suck.)
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