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Written by Kurt Brighton
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Friday, 30 November 2007 |
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 If there’s such a thing as guilt by association, then there ought to be something like “virtue by association” too. For turntablist/producer DJ Logic, the list of artists with whom he has collaborated is too lengthy to rattle off here.
But the sheer diversity of backgrounds and styles of the musicians is breathtakingly broad. He’s probably the first musician to play at both Bonnaroo and the Blue Note, the venerable jazz club in New York; he’s opened for Widespread Panic at Red Rocks, but he’s also recorded with jazz legends like Christian McBride and Uri Caine. And if you think the guy spinning records isn’t an artist, there are several hundred big-name musicians and DJ Logic co-conspirators who would beg to differ.
Logic first made his name working with Living Colour and Body Count in the early ’90s, and went on to support Medeski, Martin and Wood, backing their avant-jazz sounds for years, both in the studio and on the road. Logic—aka Jason Kibler—is also a partner in Blues Traveler frontman John Popper’s The Popper Project, and he recently released the second Yohimbe Brothers record, The Tao of Yo with Vernon Reid of Living Colour, going full circle to work once again with one of his early mentors.
“It’s always fun working with Vernon,” Logic said. “He’s the mad scientist, with his hair all wild. No, he’s a wonderful guitarist and producer. It’s great working with him again, because it’s been all these years of him seeing me grow, and he’s always been a mentor. I’ve always been under his wing and trying to learn new things. Yohimbe Brothers was something we were bound to do—we were just waiting to do it when the time came around and it was just natural.”
So, let’s see: Logic has jazz and rock covered, and with the Yohimbe Brothers’ sonic collage of sounds and often political words delivered over it (by Taylor McFerrin, spoken-word firebrand Latasha Natasha Diggs, Bos Omega and Traz) it looks like he has conscious hip-hop/jazz/funk/rock/avant-garde/experimental covered as well. What could possibly be next?
How about world music, DJ Logic-style.
“I’m working on a new project called Global Noise, with Jason Miles, who is also a producer,” Logic said. “We’re collaborating on a world music kind of thing with jazz and hip hop and electronic all mixed in as one. We have Popper, Herb Alpert, Billy Martin from Medseski, Martin and Wood, and also Karl Denson, who is a great sax player, and a great trumpet player named Christian Scott. It’s a fun project. These are the type of things I like, a challenge, taking my music in new directions.”
Somehow, amid all this recording and touring under various guises, Logic has been able to release three full-length solo records, the latest of which, The Zen of Logic, came out last year to critical and fan acclaim. Much like the near-schizophrenic genre-busting that Logic delves into with collaborators, his solo work also draws on a variety of musical influences, straddling jazz, funk, hip-hop, rock and just about any other genre you can think of. Between upcoming work on a new Popper Project record and touring—and the occasional nuisance of sleep—Logic is in no rush to record his next solo endeavor.
“I’m taking my time getting my ideas together, because, you know, I’ve been working on so many other projects,” he said. “I’ve been working on some remixes, one was a Nina Simone remix that came out on Sony, and a Billie Holliday remix, and a Weather Report remix. I’m just going to take my time and get myself together for the next record.”
In the meantime, going to his live shows in Colorado is always worthwhile—both for the fans and Logic.
“I have a lot of love for Colorado people, from the mountains to downtown Denver, so I’m looking forward to coming out there,” he said. “I was in Fort Collins with the Popper Project, and I played at the Aggie and it was rocking. And I played a Widespread Panic after-party recently, and it started late and went on till 4 or 5 in the morning.
“It’s always great coming to Colorado and getting the Colorado love,” he said.
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TO GO
DJ Logic with Filthy Children
• 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30
• Hodi’s Half Note
167 N. College Ave., Fort Collins
• Tickets: $10 advance, $12 (21+) $15 (21 and under) day of show.
• Call 472.2034 or go online to www.brownpapertickets.com | Only registered users can write comments.
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