The Bogie Band featuring Joe Russo has announced its debut album, The Prophets In The City, will be released March 25 on Royal Potato Family. The first single and title track, “The Prophets In The City (Arrival, Balance, Discipline, Joy)” is out today on all streaming platforms (listen/share), while pre-order for the nine track collection on 180-gram vinyl and digital formats is available here. The collective has also added two release shows on March 24 at Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia and March 26 at Brooklyn Bowl Williamsburg. Tickets go on-sale this Friday, Jan 21 at 12PM ET.
A new collaboration between old friends, The Bogie Band featuring Joe Russo merges tenor saxophonist Stuart Bogie’s fiery arrangements with Russo’s dynamic drumming. Utilizing only wind and percussion instruments, they are joined by a supporting cast of musicians whose resumes run through some of New York City’s most beloved bands, including Antibalas, The Dap-Kings, Red Barat, Budos Band, St. Vincent and David Byrne’s American Utopia. The resulting efforts captured on The Prophets In The City is riotous and jubilant, pushing the boundaries of wind music.
“The music we’ve created here revels in the human mysteries that unfold in New York City, basking in its connections, ironies, and myths,” explains Bogie. “Through observing its humanity, we hope to invoke the underlying world of the spirits.”
Indeed, The Prophets In The City presents a soundtrack to life in NYC that is at once ancient and immediate. The collection’s nine tracks paint images of crowded streets, joy and fury together on the sidewalk, golden light shining through scaffolding, and characters that carry mysteries and truths in their hearts. The dynamic arrangements are built on the propulsion of Russo’s drumming, alternating through transcendental minimalism, raucous humor and revelatory wonder; passages of bold gleaming brass ring back and forth in overtone rich harmonies, conjuring new melody in the listener’s imagination.
“These are deep, thoughtful, beautiful and powerful compositions that could have only come from the mind and heart of Stuart Bogie,” says Russo. “I’m so proud of this record and can’t wait to share it with the world.”
The group debuted at Winter Jazzfest in 2020, shelving the possibilities for live appearance until the summer of 2021 when they performed at their most beloved club, NuBlu for a sold out warm-up show prior to an appearance at Newport Jazz Festival. In a review of their performance, JazzTimes wrote, “…it was simply incredible. Mesmerizing waves of harmony and rhythm overlapped each other, like a mashup of Fela Kuti, Sun Ra, and King Crimson with (more) tuba! And (sometimes) multiple flutes.”
Stuart Bogie has worked with artists such as Arcade Fire, TV On The Radio and Iron & Wine, though he’s best known for his time as member/conductor of Antibalas. He also wrote the score for the Oscar nominated film, How to Survive a Plague. Russo’s career has included performing and recording with Furthur, Gene Ween Band and Benevento/Russo Duo. He currently leads his own group, the highly-regarded Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD).
The Bogie Band featuring Joe Russo
The Prophets In The City
Track Listing:
1. The Prophets In The City (Arrival, Balance, Discipline, Joy)
2. The Witnesses
3. We Met Them By The Water
4. Walking With The Holy Fools
5. Take Them On
6. We Organize
7. Joy (Reprise)
8. The Struggle
9. God In Us
The Musicians:
Drums, Timpani, Mallet Percussion: Joe Russo
Percussion: Mauro Refosco, Joe Russo, Korey Richey, Stuart Bogie, Jeff Citron
additional commotion: Karyn Starr, Arthur Lee Johnson, Louis Thebeau Starr Johnson
Sousaphone: John Altieri
Trumpets: Jordan McLean, Michael Leonhart, Dave Guy, Billy Aukstik, Eric Biondo
Trombones: Raymond Mason, Adam Dotson, Dave Smoota Smith
Saxes: Cochemea Gastelum (Bari), Matt Bauder (Bari, Alto), Ian Hendrickson-Smith (Alto), Colin Stetson (Soprano), Stuart Bogie (Tenor, Bari)
Flutes: Domenica Fossati, Stuart Bogie
Choir/Claps: Korey Richey, Jeff Citron, Stuart Bogie, Domenica Fossati, Matt Bauder
Album Release Shows
3/24 – Philadelphia, PA – Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia
3/26 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl Williamsburg
