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It is perhaps inevitable that the new generation live musicians, born and bred on hip-hop and dance production, begin to react to the musical challenges laid down by DJ culture. With the easy virtuosity that is the hallmark of musical greatness, Kudu rises to the challenge, mining jazz, hip-hop, electronica and soul to create a fiercely original, modern and accessible musical melange. Kudu embraces and redefines musical genres as only live musicians can: as reference points en route to an entirely new sound. Imagine a fusion of Betty Carter, Sara Vaughn and Erykah Badu and you begin to arrive at the sultry vocals of Kudu's singer/lyricist/bassist Sylvia Gordon. With a smoky strength that rings all sawdust and honey, Sylvia sings the songs of empowerment, scorn and love. Her brooding lyrics, strong melodic sense and entrancing stage presence make her the perfect front woman for this original New York City group, which has been causing a sensation at live appearences all over the Northeast. The band is anchored by the mind shattering drumming of Deantoni Parks. Imagine a human rhythm machine who plays with a jazz drummer's touch, but possesses the rhythm, raw speed and creativity present in the best of DJ-produced cuts. Deantoni's drums are live. Whether he's defying the laws of physics with a barrage of drum-n-bass style snare patterns or laying down a pocket so deep that his bass drum literally shakes the floor, Deantoni enables Kudu to weave effortlessly through various musical landscapes. Kudu's innovative sound is rounded out by the duel keyboard attack of Nick Kasper and Peter Stoltzman. Surrounded by a virtual fortress of keyboards, it's sometimes hard to tell whether they're charting the ocean bed in the control room of a submarine or creating the ambient vibe that rests at the heart of Kudu. Peter is a virtuoso pianist capable of stealing your breath with explosive bursts of sound, while Nick is just plain nasty. He shifts from thumping hip-hop bass to crystalline piano runs, and then adds a touch of the cosmos with some screaming sci-fi analog keys, always keeping it sparse for Sylvia to glide. Kudu, their self-titled debut album, is a mixture of catchy hooks, frenetic drum-n-bass rhythms, and innovative sonic textures. Produced by the band with Allen Towbin of Plexus, the record marks the arrival of a new voice and a new sound. The results are startling and essential. Kudu is the sound of the future.
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