Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey (or JFJO or The Fred ) is a US jazz group started in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1994 by founding members Brian Haas and Reed Mathis. The band's lineup has changed multiple times over the years, and in 2009 Haas and Mathis amicably parted ways. [1] [2] JFJO's current lineup consists of Brian Haas on keyboards, Chris Combs on guitar and lap steel, Matt Hayes on upright bass and Josh Raymer on drums.

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History and classifications

Originating in Tulsa, OK as an octet with a horn section in 1994, JFJO became a trio in the summer of 2000, initially performing as the Jacob Fred Trio in January 2000. Drummer Matthew Edwards left the group in early 2001; his replacement was Richard Haas, the brother of Brian, who performed with the group until October 2001. Jason Smart joined in late October 2001, becoming a member of the band until 2007. After Smart's depature, in June 2007, it was announced that Josh Raymer would be replacing Smart on drums. They have toured extensively, opening for the likes of Al Di Meola and Sound Tribe Sector 9, and have shared the stage with Bill Frisell, Les Claypool, Marshall Allen, George Garzone, Steve Kimock and the Everyone Orchestra, among others.

JFJO's music is not easily categorized; although it is mostly in the jazz idiom, it draws from the avant-garde, funk and rock music. JFJO has often been, somewhat incorrectly, labeled a jam band. Critic Alex Henderson describes the band's music as a "mildly avant-garde blend of jazz, rock and funk [that] draws on a wide variety of influences... Often quirky, eccentric and abstract, JFJO favors an inside/outside approach but is usually more inside than outside.", ^[3] while critic Scott Yanow describes the group as "fascinating". ^[4] Their live shows include compositions by John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, and Thelonious Monk among others, and include long experimental improvisations that, at times, could be considered atonal. Furthermore, the band's early years as an octet featured a strong hip-hop influence.

2004 - 2008

In 2004 the band released Walking With Giants , their first album with noted producer Joel Dorn's Hyena Records. Noteworthy for being JFJO's first studio album to contain acoustic piano, Walking With Giants was also the band's first studio album since 2000's Self is Gone .

2005 saw the release of their second album under Dorn and Hyena, The Sameness of Difference , the first release to include JFJO's uniquely arranged covers of songs by diverse contemporary musicians such as Björk and The Flaming Lips, as well as Dave Brubeck, Charles Mingus, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Wilson, and Neil Young. It also features original compositions by Haas, Smart and Mathis.

In 2005 the band also released 4 Improvisations For The Ghosts, an almost ambient collection of live spontaneous music. In 2006 JFJO also put out the live compilation Tomorrow We'll Know Today: Live in USA and Europe as an online-only release.

The Fred toured little in 2007, as they spent a large amount of time working on their next record in the studio. Drummer Josh Raymer joined the band in June 2007, immediately getting his feet wet at Freihofer's Jazz Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY amongst others. The same year a live sampler of material from the September tour of 2007 was released as an online-only free EP under the title Rich Mahogany.

2008 found the band touring predominantly as a quartet behind their 2008 Hyena release Lil' Tae Rides Again, which was released in April of that year. "Lil' Tae" is considered a departure for JFJO, as it contains many electronic elements. The band recorded the rough tracks for "Lil' Tae," then asked friend of the band and electronic music producer Tae Mayulks to remix the tracks to his liking; hence the album title Lil' Tae Rides Again. ^[5]

Following the album's release, JFJO took Meyulks' creations and transcribed them for live performance, performing the album in its entirety night after night during a spring 2008 tour. An official live version, Lil' Tae Rides Again / Live was compiled and edited by the band, combining performances from Portland, Denver, and Tulsa, and released as a digital download available through several online vendors. ^[6]

During the 2008 tours, the quartet lineup shifted depending on the tour, and was either Haas/Raymer/Mathis/Tomshany or Haas/Raymer/Combs/Tomshany. The band performed high-profile shows at venues such as the JVC Jazz Festival in Newport, RI and Lincoln Center in NYC.

In October 2008 the band returned to Europe as a trio (Haas/Mathis/Raymer). The tour brought great acclaim including a Guinness Jazz Award for Best New Band at the Cork Jazz Festival. This tour would prove to be the last full tour with founding member Mathis, who left to "pursue other musical endeavors." Two other trio shows were played on December 5 and 6.

2008 ended with a special New Year's Eve show in Tulsa, OK where the band played their own set as well as a 'superjam' set with members of Callupsie & The Doldrums featuring the music of Michael Jackson, Prince, and Lionel Richie.

2009 - Present

In early 2009 it was announced that founding members Brian Haas and Reed Mathis would be amicably parting ways, and that Mathis would no longer be involved with JFJO. Negative rumors about the "split" have circulated in the media, but both Haas and Mathis have made an effort to clarify that the decision was mutual. In a March 2009 interview, Brian Haas explained it this way:

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The current lineup of Haas/Raymer/Hayes/Combs made its debut at the NYC Winter Jazz Festival on January 10, 2009 to a packed house at Kenny's Castaways in New York City.

In early 2009, Jacob Fred formed their own record label, named Kinnara Records. The name Kinnara was chosen due to the members' strong identification with Buddhist and Hindu ideals. The half-bird, half-woman goddess Kinnara is representative of beauty, grace and accomplishment, and translates to "heavenly music" in Sanskrit.

On July 17, 2009, JFJO announced a cluster of seven nights in which they would be opening for Phish bassist Mike Gordon. The tour is set to run through venues in the Midwest, New England, and Ontario.

Members

• Brian Haas - Acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, and Melodica (1994 - Present)
• Joshua Raymer - drums (2008 - Present)
• Chris Combs - Electric Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar (2008 - Present)
• Matt Hayes - Double Bass, (2008 - Present)
• Dove McHargue - Electric Guitar, vocals (1994-2000)
• Kyle Wright - Trumpet (1994-2000)
• Matt Leland - Trombone, vocals (1994-2000)
• Rod Mackey - Tenor Saxophone (1994-1995)
• Sean Layton - drums, percussion, vocals (1994-1999)
• Matthew Edwards - drums, percussion (1994-2001)
• Richard Haas - drums (2001)
• Jason Smart - drums (2001 - 2008)
• Peter Tomshany - Electric Guitar (2008)
• Reed Mathis - Fender Jazz Bass with effects pedals, Double Bass, Cello, Espana Acoustic Bass Guitar, Gibson Les Paul, Lap Steel Guitar (1994-2008)

Discography

JFJO frequently releases free audio recordings of live shows for download on their official website, as does Brian Haas for his own solo side projects. In 2009 the band's studio album "Winterwood" was released as a completely free download.

Album information
One Day in Brooklyn Release: Sept.1st, 2009
Winterwood Released: 2009
Lil' Tae Rides Again / Live Released: 2008
Lil' Tae Rides Again Released: 2008
Tomorrow We'll Know Today: Live in USA and Europe Released: 2006
The Sameness of Difference Released: 2006
4 Improvisations For The Ghosts Released: 2005 Availability: Available exclusively from digital retailers For the Ghosts is a collection of live spontaneous music in tribute to the Supernatural.
Walking With Giants Released: 2004
Symbiosis Osmosis Released: 2003 Availability: Online & Selected Retailers
Slow Breath, Silent Mind Released: 2003 Availability: Online & Selected Retailers
Telluride is Acoustic Released: 2002
All Is One: Live in New York City Released: 2002
Self Is Gone Released: 2000	''
Bloom Released: 2000 Availability: Out of Print A JFJO retrospective from 1996-1998.
Live At Your Mama's House Released: 2000 Availability: Out of Print
Sean Layton: A Musical Retrospective Released: 1998-1999 Availability: Out of Print
Welcome Home Released: 1998 Availability: Out of Print JFJO's first album on a national record label, Accurate Records, Welcome Home received strong reviews ("Rookies of the Year!" - Signal to Noise)
Live In Tokyo Released: 1996 Availability: Out of Print
Live At The Lincoln Continental Released: 1995 Availability: Out of Print

Notes