Iconoclastic Guitarist David "FuZe" Fiuczynski releases New CD: KiF Express!!!
Double neck fretted, fretless and 1/4 tone guitarist David "FuZe" Fiuczynski announces the release of "KiF Express", a follow up to his groundbreaking 2001 release "KiF". The new CD is a deeper look into the other-worldly sounds of this lauded and completely original player, with Chinese, Indian and Arabic-inflected melodies, high energy funk rock, hip hop and electronica jamz and plaintive meditations over lush, brooding and at times microtonal harmonies.
With 11 original new songs written, produced and arranged by FuZe, this unusual recording sounds like nothing else and approaches the music of tomorrow - "Global MicroJamz®". This concept started on a gig in Morocco in 1992. The Moroccan players noted that Hendrix visited the country and this gave FuZe an idea - hard grooves with eastern inflected melodies putting the listener into a very colorful trance – could this be the music that Jimi would play today? KiF celebrates a living Hendrix who's kickin it in Casablanca and rockin the Casbah!
FuZe, best known for his underground rock band Screaming Headless Torsos, is very much a product of his upbringing. Born in the US, grew up in Germany he was always interested in mixing and "fuzing" different music elements. Studying at New England Conservatory in the 3rd Stream dept only furthered this interest. The 3rd Stream department, founded by Gunther Schuller, is an experimental improvisation and composition concept with an emphasis on ear training. FuZe studied with Dave Holland, George Russell, Bob Moses, but equally important was the New York school of hard knocks with MeShell Ndegeocello, Bernie Worrell, Billy Hart, Ronald Shannon Jackson and the Black Rock Coalition. Returning to NEC, Fuze received a master's degree (2008) studying microtonality with Joe Maneri, Indian music with sitarist Peter Row, Turkish music with Bob Labaree and music of the Chinese ghuzeng (Chinese zither) with Shin Yi Yang.
"Much of my musical inspiration comes from non-musical sources: paintings and East Asian and Arabic calligraphy and architecture. I love the colors of Matisse, Van Gogh, Gauguin, the Fauvists and German expressionists, the jagged explosions of Peter Voulkos' pottery and the delicate restraint of Taoist poetry. I really admire musicians with a unique and fiery sound like Eric Dolphy, Nina Hagen and Don Pullen for example."
FuZe has recorded, toured and/or performed with Stewart Copeland, Jack DeJohnette, John Medeski, Vernon Reid, Cindy Blackman, Vinnie Colaiuta, Dennis Chambers, Hiromi, Kenny Garrett, Hadisic New Wave and many more. He has performed and/or headlined at major festivals in New York, Tokyo, Montreal, Banlieues Bleues (Paris), Montreaux Jazz, North Sea Jazz (Holland) and more, appeared on TV shows like Jay Leno, Arsenio Hall and Top of the Pops in London, live radio broadcasts for the BBC and NPR's Toast of the Nation. FuZe is also the 1999 Nominee for the Herb Alpert/Cal Arts Pasadena "Genius" Award for outstanding musical achievement and has received a Berklee/Newbury Comix Fellowship (08-09) and a 2008 Jonathon Keith Microtonal Scholarship.
Fuze started teaching at Berklee College of Music in 2002 and has used the opportunity to innovate new curriculum: fretless guitar labs, 21st century groove improv classes and now Berklee's first ever microtonal groove ensemble with his Global MicroJamz® concept. This is based on a mix of western classical and eastern world music microtonal modes and harmonies over all the phat beatz you always wanted to hear! ;-)
Features Skoota Warner (Santana, Matisyahu, Busta Rhymes) - drums and Steve Jenkins (Vernon Reid, Hiromi, John Blackwell) - bass, Special guests: Daniel Sadownick (Michael Brecker, Steely Dan, Al Green, The Roots) - percussion, Jim Funnell - keys, Nikolay Moiseenko - alto sax, Mike Rivard (Club D'elf)- upright bass, Bertram Lehmann - drums, Geni Skendo - shakuhachi
Produced by David Fiuczynski –
Executive Producer: Lian Amber www.torsos.com
On FuzeLicious Morsels Records -
