Moon Hooch

Last updated

Moon Hooch
Moon hooch in concert 2019.jpg
Moon Hooch in 2019.
Background information
Origin Brooklyn, New York
Genres Jazz fusion, nu jazz
Years active2010 (2010)–present
Members
  • Wenzl McGowen
  • Michael Wilbur
  • Jules Jenssen
Past members
  • James Muschler
  • Ethan Snyder
  • Cyzon Griffin
Website moonhooch.com

Moon Hooch is an American band from Brooklyn, New York, known for their dance-oriented percussion- and saxophone-based music. The band consists of saxophonists Wenzl McGowen and Michael Wilbur, and drummer Jules Jenssen. The two woodwind players, along with original drummer James Muschler, met while attending The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and got their start busking in New York City Subway stations.

Contents

Their self-titled debut album was released in 2013 and peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. Their second album This Is Cave Music was released on September 16, 2014. and reached number 5 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.

History

Early years

The band first started busking in 2010, playing in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The band started out playing mostly jazz, but then moved to dance music after a better audience reception. Later, they decided to busk in the New York City Subway. In the process they were banned from the Bedford Avenue station by the NYPD, who tried to prevent people from dancing on the platform edge. [1] In 2011, they appeared as the house band on the Australian TV series Hamish and Andy's Gap Year where they were re-christened "The Busketeers". [2] Their album artwork is designed by Ari Michael Warner.

2013–2015

Moon Hooch in 2014. Moon Hooch, RIBCO, November 2014.jpg
Moon Hooch in 2014.

After gaining a reputation from busking, Moon Hooch started to release albums, beginning with their self-titled debut on June 25, 2013. It was recorded in a 24-hour period at Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, and most of the copies were sold while the band was still busking. [3] Their second album, This is Cave Music, was released on September 16, 2014, and was the first to use synthesizers, post-production work, and vocals. It received positive reviews, and many reviewers commented on the band's unique style. [4] Their next album, Red Sky, would continue to use the same elements pioneered in This is Cave Music. Moon Hooch has been influential in the “brass house” genre, as well as pushing the boundaries of jazz. [5]

2016–2024

The band released their first EP, The Joshua Tree, in early 2017. [6] Their second EP, Light It Up, was released on April 6, 2018, via Hornblow Recordings. The short three track EP was announced alongside the video for the first single of the album, "Acid Mountain." [7]

On November 5, 2019, Moon Hooch released the single Candlelight, followed by an announcement of the release of their newest album Life On Other Planets. The album was released in January 2020, [8] and was followed by a large North American tour and a smaller European tour. [9] In February 2021 they released a continuous play album 2021: A Hooch Odyssey, which featured remixes of their favorite songs. [10] On September 9, 2021, the band released a new album titled Super Cone Bros referencing the character Mario. [11]

April 2024–present

On Wednesday, April 10th, 2024 via his Facebook, Jules Jenssen posted from Asbury Park, NJ to announce that he would be playing drums with the band at Wonder Bar that night and "for the foreseeable future." [12] Jules had previously assisted Michael with configuring his live looping setup (including auto-looping) and collaborates in similar capacities, and as a live playback engineer, with artists including Machine Gun Kelly, Lil Wayne, The Kid Laroi, Cordae, Benee and Honeycomb (Beat boxer and musician).

Philosophy

The band believes deeply in environmental causes. They are strongly passionate about environmentalism and sustainable living, and use their influence to share this philosophy with others. In 2017, they announced that the band would be carbon neutral. Along with environmental activism, the band is also united in their practice of meditation. They say that it helps to give them focus, something they value in their work. The band also believes that meditation has allowed them to become better people. [13]

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Live albums

Singles

Band members

Former band members

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soft Machine</span> British rock band

Soft Machine are a British rock band from Canterbury formed in mid-1966 by Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen and Larry Nowlin. As a central band of the Canterbury scene, the group became one of the first British psychedelic acts and later moved into progressive and jazz rock, becoming a purely instrumental band in 1971. The band has undergone many line-up changes, with musicians such as Andy Summers, Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, John Marshall, Karl Jenkins, Roy Babbington and Allan Holdsworth being members during the band's history. The current line-up consists of John Etheridge, Theo Travis, Fred Thelonious Baker and Asaf Sirkis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biosphere (musician)</span> Norwegian electronic musician

Geir Aule Jenssen is a Norwegian electronic musician and composer who records as Biosphere. A resident of Tromsø within the Arctic Circle, Jenssen is well known for ambient and ambient house pieces, often inspired by Arctic or mountain settings, and his use of loops and peculiar samples from science fiction and natural sources. His 1997 album Substrata was voted by the users of the Hyperreal.org website in 2001 as the best all-time classic ambient album. He has also composed several film scores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellowjackets (band)</span> American jazz fusion band

Yellowjackets is an American jazz fusion band founded in 1977 in Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Die Krupps</span> German industrial metal/EBM band

Die Krupps is a German industrial metal/EBM band, formed in 1980 by Jürgen Engler and Bernward Malaka in Düsseldorf.

<i>Tutu</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Miles Davis

Tutu is an album by jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, released in 1986 by Warner Bros. Records. It was recorded primarily at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles and Clinton Recording in New York, except the song "Backyard Ritual", which was recorded at Le Gonks in West Hollywood. Davis received the 1986 Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist Grammy Award for his performance on the album.

<i>Moonlighting</i> (The Rippingtons album) 1986 studio album by the Rippingtons

Moonlighting is the debut album by the contemporary jazz ensemble the Rippingtons. It was released in 1986 on Passport Jazz and GRP labels, and reached number 5 on Billboard's Jazz chart.
This is also the first appearance of the Jazz Cat on the album cover by artist Bill Mayer. The Jazz Cat has since been on the cover of every Rippingtons album.

Nucleus was a British jazz-fusion band, which continued in different forms from 1969 to 1989. In 1970, the band won first prize at the Montreux Jazz Festival, released the album Elastic Rock, and performed both at the Newport Jazz Festival and the Village Gate jazz club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thirsty Moon</span> German Krautrock band

Thirsty Moon is a German Krautrock band. The band was founded in the early 1970s in Bremen and plays progressive rock with strong jazz influences. Band members were the brothers Jürgen and Norbert Drogies, Michael Kobs, Harald Konietzko, Erwin Noack, Willi Pape and Siegfried Pisalla, although this line-up changed in the late 1970s. The band's first two albums received critical acclaim and are considered Krautrock classics.

<i>Borboletta</i> 1974 studio album by Santana

Borboletta is the sixth studio album by the American Latin rock band Santana. It is one of their jazz-funk-fusion oriented albums, along with Caravanserai (1972), and Welcome (1973). Non-band albums by Carlos Santana in this style also include Love Devotion Surrender (1973) with John McLaughlin and Illuminations (1974) with Alice Coltrane, Jack DeJohnette and Jules Broussard. The guitarist leaves much room to percussion, saxophone and keyboards to set moods, as well as lengthy solos by himself and vocals. The record was released in a metallic blue sleeve displaying a butterfly, an allusion to the album Butterfly Dreams (1973) by Brazilian musician Flora Purim and her husband Airto Moreira, whose contributions deeply influenced the sound of Borboletta. In Portuguese, borboleta means "butterfly".

<i>Sky Islands</i> (Caldera album) 1977 studio album by Caldera

Sky Islands is the second album by Jazz fusion group Caldera released in 1977 on Capitol Records. The album rose to No. 18 on the Cashbox Top 40 Jazz Albums chart.

<i>Turn This Mutha Out</i> 1977 studio album by Idris Muhammad

Turn This Mutha Out is a 1977 album by Idris Muhammad. Produced and arranged by CTI/Kudu staff arranger David Matthews, it was aimed more at the R&B/disco market than the jazz market. One of only a few Kudu albums not produced by label owner Creed Taylor, Turn This Mutha Out spawned two pop and R&B hits, the title track and "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portico Quartet</span> British musical group

Portico Quartet are an instrumental band from London, United Kingdom. They are known for their use of the hang, a modern percussion instrument. Their debut album, Knee-Deep in the North Sea, was nominated for the 2008 Mercury Prize and was Time Out's Jazz, Folk and World album of the year 2007.

<i>Grand Piano Canyon</i> 1990 studio album by Bob James

Grand Piano Canyon is the 22nd solo album by Bob James. It was released on June 28, 1990. The cover art is reproduced from an original painting by David Grath entitled "Grand Piano Canyon." The title for the seventh track, "Xraxse" is the planet inhabited by Blue People in a story written by James' daughter, Hilary, at age 6.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Reign of Kindo</span>

The Reign of Kindo is an American rock band originating from Buffalo, New York, currently based out of New York City. They produce and release their music independently. They finance the creation of their recordings and videos by writing, producing and releasing a new original recording every month to their supporters on Patreon.

<i>Live at the 6th Tokyo Music Joy</i> 1990 live album by Art Ensemble of Chicago & Lester Bowies Brass Fantasy

Live at the 6th Tokyo Music Joy is a live album by the Art Ensemble of Chicago and Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy recorded in February 1990 for the Japanese DIW label. It is the only recording to showcase both of the groups that Lester Bowie established and features performances by the Art Ensemble, the Brass Fantasy and both bands.

<i>Leaving This Planet</i> 1974 studio album by Charles Earland

Leaving This Planet is a double album by organist Charles Earland that was recorded in 1973 and released on the Prestige label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Comet Is Coming</span> British jazz-rock band

The Comet Is Coming was a London-based band that incorporated elements of jazz, electronica, funk and psychedelic rock.

Too Many Zooz is an American music group based in New York City, consisting of Leo Pellegrino, Matt "Doe" Muirhead (trumpet) and David "King of Sludge" Parks (drums).

<i>Red Sky</i> (Moon Hooch album) 2016 studio album by Moon Hooch

Red Sky is the third album by American jazz trio Moon Hooch, released on June 10, 2016 by Hornblow/Palmetto Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucky Chops</span> American jazz band

Lucky Chops is a band from New York City, which formed in 2006 and has performed professionally since 2014. It achieved prominence through performances on the New York City Subway which were filmed and shared on the internet, in particular a 2016 performance of "Funky Town" and "I Got You ".

References

  1. Phull, Hardeep (January 25, 2013). "From Busking to Broadway". The New York Post. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  2. "Meet The Busketeers". Hamish & Andy. August 8, 2011. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  3. "Moon Hooch". Moon Hooch. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  4. Levenson, Max Savage (September 7, 2014). "First Listen: Moon Hooch, 'This Is Cave Music'". NPR. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  5. Haider, Arwa (October 27, 2017). "How club culture and EDM inspired jazz musicians". Financial Times. Financial Times. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  6. Boilen, Bob (July 21, 2017). "Watch: The Latest Video From Moon Hooch Is Pure Insanity". npr. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  7. "Moon Hooch Announces New EP & Shares Single". JamBase. March 23, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  8. Varias, Chris. "Come on down to Covington and try out 'cave music' with Moon Hooch". The Enquirer. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  9. Bernstein, Scott (November 5, 2019). "Moon Hooch Announces New Album 'Life On Other Planets' & 2020 Tour, Shares Single". JamBase. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  10. "Moon Hooch launches new album into the stratosphere, with two shows in Seattle this weekend". KNKX Public Radio. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  11. Cesare, Corey (July 19, 2022). "Wenzl McGowen Brings His Traffic Cone Saxophone to 'AGT'". Talent Recap. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  12. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/F4QUUrro8adnyt7J/?mibextid=qi2Omg
  13. Rees, Thomas (August 13, 2017). "Moon Hooch Interview \\"While we were dead the three of us left our bodies and went into an astral world"". Internet Archive Jazz Standard. Archived from the original on July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.