Nick Cooper Archive

Free Radicals – Outside the Comfort Zone – Free Rads 

by Audiophile Audition | Jan 20, 2018 | Jazz CD Reviews

A brash, brassy and boisterous band. Free Radicals – Outside the Comfort Zone – Free Rads RWE017, 68:28 [9/23/17] ****: (Pete Sullivan – baritone saxophone; Jason Jackson – alto saxophone; Aaron Varnell – tenor saxophone; Tom VandenBoom – trombone; Matt Serice – trumpet, keyboards; Nick Cooper – drums, percussion; Al Bear – guitar; Jacob Breier – bass; Nick Gonzalez – sousaphone; guest musicians: Bob Chadwick – flute; Subhendu Chakraborty – tablas; Harry Sheppard, Damon Choice – vibes; Al Pagliuso, Charlie Perez – percussion; Henry Darragh – keyboards, trombone; Lynn Bechtold – violin; Doug Falk, Nelson Mills III – trumpet; Pelayo Parlade – piano; Will Van Horn – pedal steel; Muhammad Jafari – doumbec; Theo Bijarro, Paul Winstanley – bass) What would you call a group which performs jazz, funk, hip-hop, avant-garde, ska, reggae, African music, Indian music, punk, klezmer, polka and Latin jazz? Welcome to the wild world of Free Radicals. The Houston, Texas nonet has been dazzling, confounding and turning heads since drummer Nick Cooper founded the band in 1996. The ensemble has issued half a dozen records, including their newest, the 68-minute Outside the Comfort Zone. Free Radicals love to invite guests to their recording sessions. For this […]