ALBUM:
Diversity
TAYLOR USED:
W-65
AB-2
SONG CLIPS:
24/7 Good Thing
28K | 56K | MP3
Boogie Finger
28K | 56K | MP3
CONTACT INFO:
P.O. Box 820149
Memphis, TN 38182-0149
Tel:
(901) 278-2038
E-mail:
FreeWorld Rocks @usa .net
Web:
www. listen .to/ freeworld
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Memphis-based FreeWorld knows how to sink into a deep funk, much to the delight of their fans. The energetic
ensemble's kinetic, funkadelic groove-jams blend jazz, blues and soul into a tight but lithe flow of propulsive
chigga-chigga rhythm guitar textures, pockety percussion, sexy horn phrasing, and booty-shaking bass that has kept
Memphis dance floors percolating and perspiring for the past twelve years.
Songwriter, lead vocalist, and bassist Richard Cushing says the band has always been very much a live animal, and
that its performances benefit immensely from the energy of their audiences. Translating that vibe into an equally
engaging studio recording has been a challenge for the band in the past, but Ross Rice, producer of the group's latest
release, Diversity, found a novel solution this time around: bringing the band's friends and family into the studio
with them. It worked. Diversity sounds very much like a live album with great sound separation. The group's extended
circle also lends group vocals to tunes like "Boogie Finger", adding to the party-like live ambience that flavors much of
the album. To further capture the interplay of live performance, the band laid down their rhythm tracks without headphones.
FreeWorld reigned in their trademark extended jams for Diversity, yet retained plenty of articulate soloing and
progressiveness to their song structures. Like a family that learns to live in close quarters without getting in each
other's way, each instrumental element meshes and breathes with the others, yielding the right amount of tension, harmony,
and space. Brian Overstreet's searing wah-wah gives way to horn master Herman Green's simmering sax, while Cushing's
passionate vocals tear it up with groovy urgency, sinking and swelling with the deft dynamics of a seasoned performer.
If FreeWorld's sharp synchronicity and warm vibe on Diversity are any indication of their live prowess, put their gig on
your to-do list the next time you're in Memphis. And if you want to hear a more acoustic sound, check out FreeWorld's
weekly unplugged set at Newby's (Cushing plays the AB-2), or their acoustic side project, Kaleidoscope (he plays the W-65).
"…One of the River City's most popular bands…blending Memphis attitude with a freewheeling musical range… Fans of extensive Allman-esque freeform instrumental jams should check this out…"
— Rick Clark, Billboard Magazine
"One of the strongest local projects in many a moon…It's the real thing…FreeWorld's musicianship is some kind of magic…"
— Shake, Rattle and Roll (Memphis Tennessee)
"…Known for its danceable, jamming, funk-heavy music, the band is literally new-school-meets -old-school…Great!"
— Pulse Magazine, Tower Records
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