Grounation Hull Jazz Festival 31st July By Hollie Peck and Michelle Dee

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The Hull-based jazz outfit opened the Jazz Festival in Queens Gardens in fine style. An audience of about 200 -300 jazz enthusiasts came to listen to Grounation's unique fusion of Jazz/Funk/Hip-Hop musical stylings. The four permanent members of Grounation have being rehearsing together for about five months. They are, Cat Keech-vocals, Arji (The Leno)-vocals, Rob Law-keyboard and Dave Keech-drums their ages range from 17-32.

The band was born out of a group called the Hip-Hop project and a need to create a band specifically to perform at the Jazz Festivals. This challenge was met by Rob, Arji and Dave who had been experimenting with Hip-Hop music after listening to groups such as Galliano. The guitar and bass parts for Grounation are written by the group then session musicians are brought in to flesh out the sound.

Cat was chosen because of her flexibility in her vocal range and her fearless stage performance. She was known to Rob through the local band Ice-House where she sings lead backing vocals. Ice-House has been quiet of late due to their lead singer, Dan Brian, camping it up in the Big Brother House! The songs today showed the progressive nature of Grounation. Their set included cover versions of Prince of Peace and Rise and Fall by Galliano and original pieces. One of the pieces that stood out was called Sex Tune (Dating Game) which highlights the consequences of underage sex and another track aptly titled New New Tune.

Two tracks from The Hip-Hop project were included in the set these were World Keeps Spinning and Tight Rope. The last song performed by the band was a modern Jazz classic called 500 miles high. This uplifting song was converted into Drum and Bass with Arji MC'ing over the top. When I spoke to Cat about her performance she told me she was most enthusiastic about performing with Grounation because she feels they have greater potential than her other music projects.

She spoke of the energy the group possesses and how that energy releases her from everyday concerns. She makes the stage her home and looked very comfortable performing in front a large crowd. In the future Grounation hope to do a lot more writing and recording and are planning to start work on an album on the 9th August. They have been approached to perform at a jazz festival in Poland where I am sure they will be well received.

Grounation were: Cat Keech-Vocals Arji-Vocals Rob Law-Keyboard Dave Keech-Drums Matt Smith-Tenor Saxophone Al Morrison-Guitar Scott Devine-Bass

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Photographs courtsey and Copyright © Jane Foster 2004

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