The Brand New Life

 

The Brand New Life, an eight piece “Afrobeat/Free Jazz” group from North Carolina, is fusing world music traditions with jazz and modern techniques as well as any group today. A rare collaboration between a group of young jazz enthusiast from North Carolina, and a Senegalese griot from West Africa, has created a special sound and an impressive repertoire of completely original music. “The Brand New Life’s jazzy chassis rides on West African power grooves, like Mbalax and Afrobeat, featuring Senegalese talking drummer Mamadou Mbengue,” says The Independent Weekly. The Brand New Life have convincingly become one of the Southeast’s frontrunners on the world-beat scene, recently getting the call to open for Afrobeat heir to the throne Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 and American Afrobeat collective Antibalas (Daptone Records).

The founding members of The Brand New Life are Seth Barden (upright and electric basses), Walter Fancourt (tenor sax/flute/clarinets), Casey Cranford (alto sax/baritone sax), Daniel Yount (drum set/percussion) and Evan Frierson (congas/percussion). Their current roster includes recent additions Mamadou Mbenge (tama), Sean Smith (trumpet) and Will Darity (guitar). Mamadou Mbenge is a Wolof griot from Senegal, West Africa, who comes from a long line of tama (talking drum) masters in his family. For years Mamadou has toured internationally with African pop stars like Abdou Guite Seck and Abou Thioubalo. Sean Smith was one of the lead horns for the nationally touring afrobeat group “The Afromotive” from 2006-2010. Sean has been touring with The Brand New Life since September of 2011.

The Brand New Life have shared the stage with some of the top acts in the world including Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, Antibalas, Orgone, Zechs Marquise, Jeff Sipe, Gregg Ginn and Diali Cissokho. The band has performed at major music festivals including Floyd Fest, Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival,  Lake Eden Arts Fetsival (LEAF) and more.

The Brand New Life

 

Tracklist

01. Time Warp

02. We Made Dogs

03. Basically Skipping

04. Zack Is Back

05. Songo Joe

06. Hini

07. This Lady's Trouble

08. The Ailry Lift

09. Ra!