The Lansing musician showcases his own new album, “Family Business,” in a Traverse City concert at The Alluvion this weekend, part of a hectic multi-band touring schedule.
Crisscrossing the Country: Jim Alfredson plays Traverse City with an all-star cast this weekend. (Photo/Veronica Leigh Anderson)
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Virtuoso Lansing-based organist Jim Alfredson says when he recorded his star-studded “Family Business” album on Posi-Tone Records, he wanted “something more in line” with the classic Blue Note jazz label.
“This record was back to the roots, more traditional. It’s the first outing on an actual label,” he says of the album featuring tenor saxophonist Diego Rivera, trumpeter Alex Sipiagin, trombonist Michael Dease, guitarist Will Bernard, drummer EJ Strickland and Grand Rapids percussionist Kevin “Bujo” Jones.
On Saturday (April 20), his musical “family” will showcase music from that recording at The Alluvion in Traverse City.
Pleased with the “Family Business” recording, Alfredson is excited to showcase the band live.
With an Organissimo at SpeakEZ Lounge- Alfredson on stage. (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
The sextet is the same as that on the recording, with a couple exceptions: Alex White will be drumming, with Anthony Stanko stepping in on trumpet.
“I’ve known Diego a long time. Diego (Rivera) and I went to Michigan State University together. I respected his musicianship, his style – it’s not just jazz, there’s R&B, ska, all that,” he says. “Michael (Dease) and I met when he first came to MSU, playing a gig at Cliff Bell’s.”
It was only after that gig that Alfredson became well acquainted with the depth of his playing. “He’s a monster. Only later did I learn his credentials. He got me on Posi-Tone (for the “Family Business” release).
Other artists on the album were a mix of his preferences: “I wanted Will Bernard,” says Alfredson, with Sipiagin and STrickland touted by Posi-Tone as felicitous choices for the recording.
A 23-YEAR LEGACY WITH ORGANISSIMO
Of course, Alfredson may be best known to Michigan fans as organist for the popular jazz trio Organissimo, alongside drummer Randy Marsh and guitarist Larry Barris.
“We’ve been together 23 years,” says Alfredson. “When Organissimo started it was all for writing new songs, taking organ to new directions.
That band continues to perform occasionally, with its next appearance on May 12 at SpeakEZ Lounge in Grand Rapids as part of Marsh’s Randissimo’s Sunday Night Jazz series.
Alfredson’s resume extends far beyond Organissimo. He was a longtime member of Lansing’s bluesy Root Doctor, producing and playing on three CDs for that soulful band which plays Moores Park in Lansing on June 12.
From 2010 to 2014, Alfredson served as keyboardist and primary background vocalist in the touring band for blues singer Janiva Magness and is featured on her Alligator Records release, “Stronger For It,” and her self-released album, “Original.” He performs with Magness tonight (April 18) in Baton Rouge, La., then rejoins her again for an April 25 show in Los Angeles.
In addition, he’s produced, engineered and performed on recordings by his friend Greg Nagy, a Michigan guitarist and singer with whom he’s also toured.
Alfredson also is leader of Echoes of Pink Floyd, a Floyd tribute group, where he reaches beyond organ to include all manner of keyboards and synthesizers, the better to illuminate the space music of the psychedelic pop pioneers. Illuminate it he does, as the band boasts a nifty light show to complement the space rock. Alfredson is also the band’s primary vocalist, with its next performance set for Grewal Hall in Lansing on May 4.
Solo Work: Alfredson’s latest is on Posi-Tone Records. (Photo/Kendra Petersen-Kamp)
His solo recordings include “In Memorandum” (a tribute to his late father) and a spirited progressive rock outing called “The Game of Ouroboros,” credited to a band he founded called THEO. The latter was inspired by all those hoary bands he listened to in his youth, such as Genesis and Yes.
It all fits with his broad reach, stemming from a musical background. His father was a professional musician who encouraged his son’s talents from an early age.
Alfredson began writing his own songs at the age of eight on a Yamaha organ. A battery of synthesizers and multi-track machines soon followed, until he came full circle at 16 and turned back to the sound of the Hammond organ.
His organ playing today continues in that tradition, though the instrument has changed. He’s now playing a Hammond XK5, a digital version of the classic B3. The bulky B3 comes in at a hefty 425 pounds, making it less than enjoyable to move from gig to gig. At 35 pounds, the XK5 is a relative lightweight, still played through a traditional Leslie speaker.
“They’re so good, and they keep upping their game,” he said of Leslies.
The Traverse City show will include music from his cohorts as well as from “Family Business.”
“I want to keep it mostly originals,” Alfredson says. “We’ll do some of Michael’s tunes from his record, including a couple I wrote for him. Anthony, I worked on his record, we’ll dig into that.”
Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. Saturday show are $30 in advance, available online here. Tickets are $35 at the door the day of the show.
For more information about Alfredson, visit his website at jimalfredson.com.
LISTEN: Jim Alfredson, “Peepin'” (from “Family Business”)
VIDEO: Organissimo, “Going On to Detroit”
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