Three Emmys, two Grammys, one alum of The Voice, an American Idol phenom, and a DownBeat “Jazz Group of the Year ” nominee — all that and more are in the embodiment of the Lao Tizer Band. A veteran performer of the Coltrane JazzFest, Tizer and his current band will play Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024 at the John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival (JCIJBF) in Oak Hollow Park.
NEW MUSIC, NEW FOCUS
The band’s appearance will come on the heels of their August 2024 album and video release AMPLIFY. The new release is a major evolution for the group and includes all new, original material; five vocals songs, and four instrumentals. Musically, it is a turned-up, high-energy offering with a variety of flavors including Jazz, R&B, funk and World Music.
Jazz-fusion keyboardist Tizer, a native of Boulder, Colorado was a teen prodigy. His career spans a quarter century with nine albums to his credit. He surrounds himself with musicians of stupendous talent who create imaginative live sets and vibrant improvisational passages.
The current all-star band includes: two vocalists who captured attention as television show contestants. American Idol star, Elliott Yamin, and Maiya Sykes, an alum of the Voice. Sykes is part of the Los Angeles based collective Scary Pockets; Emmy Award winning guitarist, composer and producer, Chieli Minucci, of Special EFX fame; star violinist Karen Briggs, known for her work with Yanni, Stanley Clark as well as her solo career; Grammy-winning drummer Gene Coye who has played with Terrence Blanchard and Larry Carlton; Grammy-winning percussionist Munyungo Jackson, a veteran of Miles Davis band who also played with Stevie Wonder; two-time Grammy Award- winning saxophonist and flutist Danny Janklow, and “The Face of Bass”, Cheikh N’Doye, the Senegalese bassist and producer.
THE MUSIC
Tizer’s influences are rooted in the music his parents listened to in the 1960s and 70s. His 2001 debut release Golden Soul reached the Top 50 on the Billboard contemporary jazz chart. His next release was Diversify in 2007 followed by the 2009 solo piano recording titled Passages. He returned to a full band on the 2012 release Downbeat. Tizer added rock to the band’s repertoire with the 2018 release of Songs From the Swinghouse.
The latest release, Amplify, is with a turned-up, high-energy musical ride through a variety of flavors including Jazz, R&B, funk and World Music.
