If you are on the lookout for exciting, exploratory music, look no further than this article and the compelling act I am about to introduce you to.
Shakespeare & the Blues is a New Orleans fusion trio consisting of Cam Smith on drums and electronics, Cassie Watson Francillon on concert harp, and Bryan Webre (from Lost Bayou Ramblers) on bass and electronics. Smith and Webre began playing together in 2019 and recruited Watson shortly after. The group began performing free-flowing sets that never repeated concepts, incorporating drums, bass, loops, samples, guitar and synths. And this improvised idealogy is a significant component of the band's musical ethos.
The trios recently released their debut 11-track album "e.g., rhapsodic" (on Nouveau Electric Records, the label run by Louis Michot of Grammy-winners Lost Bayou Ramblers).
Shakespeare & the Blues music is a stunning instrumental sonic immersion, fusing nu-jazz and hip-hop influences in an audacious and experimental manner. There are also sprinkles of funk and classical music, trip-hop beats, and atmospheric electronic productions, but any genre incorporated by this band is organically and effortlessly integrated—an awe-inspiring feat in itself.
In addition, successfully submerging harp, drums, bass, and samples is an ambitious task, but the group does it in a remarkably cultivated way. Considerable in thanks down to the trio's astonishingly tight sound, almost telepathic, altruistic understanding of each other, and overall undeniably powerful chemistry.
e.g., rhapsodic is an untamed dramatic journey of genre-merging soundscapes. Empowered by virtuosic syncopation and avant-garde grooves. The album is securely unified by distinctive samples (which allows for a layered and ambient listening experience)—entangled by the group's innovative vision of music, combined with the consistent improvised foundation of the songs.
e.g., rhapsodic can't help but grapple you with its menacing allure and results in a captivating 49-minute listening experience that will leave any listener wanting to come back for more.
The album was recorded at Mark Bingham's Nina Hwy Studio in Henderson, LA, engineered and mixed by band members Cam Smith and Bryan Webre, as well as being self-produced by the group. The album was released on September 17 on vinyl LP, CD and cassette, and a digital download and via streaming platforms. You can listen to "e.g., rhapsodic" by Shakespeare & the Blues here:
https://shakespeareandtheblues.bandcamp.com/album/e-g-rhapsodic