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Buzby: Break The Silence
Even with the Dave Matthews Band breaking out onto the national scene in the mid-90s, the Charlottesville, VA music scene has continually been overlooked nationally. The depth of musical talent in and around the college town is pretty stunning. In Charlottesville and central Virginia in general, there is a pretty heavy jazz scene going on that always seems to infect the areas rock bands. So when the Founders, a band whose sound relied heavily on guitars and keyboards, disbanded in mid-1998, the natural next step for lead singer and songwriter Brenton Hund was something a bit jazzier. Of course, he needed to look no further than Charlottesville when forming his next band, Buzby. I
admit I was nervous about listening to and reviewing Break The Silence.
Having been a big fan of the Founders softer, more subdued sound, I
wasnt sure how the jazzier, funkier sound of Buzby would fare with me.
However, Break The Silence proves Hunds songwriting abilities
to be flexible and unlimited by genre. The
disc starts off with Shattered, a tune that suggests the subject matter of
Hunds lyrics have not strayed too far from the proverbial lost love that was
popular with the Founders, but this time, the story is set to something you can
shake your hips to. The disc moves
nicely into track two, Tired of Boo, a song that made me smile as its
syncopated and sometimes-dissonant sax riffs reminded me of Richmonds beloved
(and now defunct) Agents of Good Roots. This
is also true at other places on the disc as the title track sounds like it could
have been a long lost Agents song if not for Lydia Ooghes contribution as a
female backup vocalist. And
what a contribution it is! Ooghe, a former Broadway singer, brings an element to Buzby
that was missing from the Founders' music.
This is most noticeable on For Heidi, one of the albums best
tracks, where Ooghes vocal contribution and Steve Norfleets sax solo prove
essential to the songs delivery. But
Buzby knows when backup vocals arent necessary and when the saxophone isnt
appropriate for a particular song. On
Bird, Norfleet puts down his saxophone and picks up a flute for this
softer, introspective tune. He
does the same on Travel Song, a Paul Simon-esque ditty that also has Joel
DeNuzio experimenting with a variety of percussion instruments beyond the
standard drum kit. Buzby personifies the diversity of musical talent living in Charlottesville. There is a little of everything on Break The Silencejazz, rock, folk, groove, and lots of fun. You never know what youre going to hear next, but you can be pretty sure youll be able to dance to it.
You can purchase music by Buzby from Amazon & Insound LEFT OFF THE DIAL's Buzby Page About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home All content © LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved. |
