Velocity is a prog instrumental fusion band based out of Tacoma Washington. We meld together a variety of musical styles including funk, prog rock, hip hop, and jazz. The music combines hard-hitting grooves and hook melodies with open improvisation. The energetic original compositions are largely written by keyboardist Peter Adams, with each member contributing to the arrangements and sound of the music. Common time is uncommon with Velocity. Melodies are twisted and warped around each other. Solos are aggressive, yet bind the compositions to a set of defined rules and formulas. The sounds that you expect are not the sounds you get. And that’s just the way We like it.
Quantum Christmas nominated for Northwest Recording of the Year 2023 by Earshot Jazz.
“The familiar melodies are left relatively intact, but the underlying rhythms are shifted and permutated, and the arrangements feature hip reharmonizations, with plenty of probing solos and group improvisational fire. Quantum Christmas pushes into the funkier side of the spectrum, powered by the slickly interlocking rhythm section of Brian Smith on drums and Rob Hutchinson on bass. Tenor saxophonist Cliff Colón breathes melodic firepower and energy into the music, and new guitarist Mason Hargrove injects wiry solos, rock flourishes, and nuanced textural layers.” - ANDREW LUTHRINGER - Earshot Jazz
https://www.earshot.org/project/2023-12-velocity-quantum-christmas/
The New Cool: Favorites of 2019 - “Representing Tacoma on our year-end list, Velocity's new album Magnetar exceeded my expectations for complex and melodic groove jazz. Full of songs written by keys player Peter Adams, progressive rock meets funky jazz fusion, that pushes the band to the edge of their abilities. "I think the goal with all the songs has been to write stuff we can't play and then learn how to play it," Adams told me this year.
Odd time signatures abound, with more emphasis on funk, and hints of the rare jagged edges of smooth jazz melodicism. Velocity's drummer Brian Smith mentions new songs with rhythms "...in seven against 3 against 2, then it floats to four and modulates back to seven." Saxophonist Cliff Colon jokingly adds, "You have to have a calculator to listen to our album."
"Magnetar," the debut single, begins with a driving beat that lays out a couple soulful hooks, then relaxes into a chill out section. Gradually picking up the pace, with an empassioned sax solo from Colon, the song returns to chill out mode, leading to Adams' solo on spacey synthesizer. The slowdown hits once more before the band brings the proceedings to a satisfyingly funky conclusion.”
https://www.knkx.org/jazz-and-blues/2019-12-20/the-new-cool-favorites-of-2019
KNKX The New Cool: Velocity builds momentum with new music - https://www.knkx.org/jazz-and-blues/2019-06-07/the-new-cool-velocity-builds-momentum-with-new-music
KNKX The New Cool: Velocity celebrates Tacoma, and a new album - https://www.knkx.org/jazz-and-blues/2019-09-20/the-new-cool-velocity-celebrates-tacoma-and-a-new-album
AXS.com reviews Displacement Over Time - “"Pianist/songwriter Adams, saxophonist/co-arranger Colon, drummer/co-arranger Brian Smith, and bassist Rob Hutchinson give a group pulse to every funked-out track, as if they were on a mission to extract the full consequences of dreaming big — as both engineers and artists. They seem to almost OC-D on every possible melody from even the most minor fragment of elicit inspiration." - Carol Banks Weber, AXS.com
Read the whole review here.
AllAboutJazz.com reviews Displacement Over Time - "The Tacoma, Washington-based quartet's sounds travels crisp, tightly-woven modern jazz terrain not unlike that of pianist Chick Corea's Elektric Band: groove-centric drums and bass, a hot saxophone not quite out front but incorporated more equally into the ensemble sound, and some fine and fancy electric keyboards giving the music a futuristic feel."
- Dan McClenaghan, AllAboutJazz.com
Read the whole review here.
