Acid jazz band Jazzhole is set to release a new album, Moonlight Mile (which is set for an early 2025 release date). The project was the culmination of a road trip that started in Woodstock, making stops in NYC and Nashville, and ended up in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Peter Levin (Greg Allman, Blind Boys of Alabama) joined Jazzhole bassist David Inniss and drummer Mark Robohm in tracking at Fame Studios, while trumpet legend Randy Brecker and tabla master Prabhu Edouard added overdubs from remote locations.
Our ears got an early listen to the new project and it doesn’t disappoint! All of the tracks are silky street jazz infused with hip-hop vibes.
The jazz / soul / hip hop excursion features the singles Love…Life… (Lord KCB), Moonlight Mile (Marlon Saunders) and Damn I Miss NY (Michelle Lewis, Rosa Russ and Marlon Saunders).
While the acid jazz movement kicked off in London clubs during the mid ’80s, that phenomenon of mixing jazz and hip-hop eventually reached Stateside by the early ’90s. One of the most musically creative groups to emerge on the scene in 1994 was Jazzhole, an evolving collective of many of New York’s most accomplished live and studio musicians. While Jazzhole’s roster has changed since their self-titled debut, the band’s core songwriting and production trio Warren Rosenstein, Marlon Saunders, and John Pondel has not.
Maryland native, Marlon Saunders, is the group’s main vocalist. Influenced by both gospel and R&B recordings at an early age, Saunders attended the Berklee School of Music and found a deeper love and respect for jazz and singing. Marlon has worked with countless major artists including The Lumineers, Michael Bublé, Sting, Angelique Kidjo, Graham Nash, Elvis Costello, Kesha, Cynthia Erivo, Michael Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Billy Joel and Bobby McFerrin. From 2015-2017, Marlon toured with Stevie Wonder on The Songs In The Key of Life Tour as choir director. He has served as vocal contractor for Sam Smith, Bastille, Logic, Mondo Cozmo and Andrea Bocelli.
Warren Rosenstein began his music career producing, engineering and writing house and hip hop recordings in the late 1980s, including “We’re Coming Correct”, the first full length hip hop record on Virgin Records, by Velore and Double O, “Hot Music” by Soho, “Do You Want My Love” by Fonda Rae, “Jazz it Up” by the CFM Band, and many more. Warren founded Jazzhole in 1994 and this has been his sole musical focus since.
John Pondel is guitarist, composer and educator from California, later moving to New York. He started out his professional career with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra at 20 years old where he learned what it is like to play alongside legends such as Snooky Young Harold Land and vocalist Joe Williams. He soon moved into the world of studio work as well as more live jazz gigs.. He is a founding member of the pioneering acid jazz/neo soul group Jazzhole seeing popular and critical success with several albums including The Jazzhole, Blackburst and Circle of the Sun. Moonlight Mile, marks their eighth album in a remarkable 30 year journey.He is also a founder/ member of the organ/guitar duo, Kombo, with the keyboardist Ron Pedley who have notched several Billboard top 20 hits.
John has been an adjunct music professor at Concordia College and The NewSchool University in New York. He has recorded and/or toured with numerous chart topping artists such as George Benson, Randy Crawford, Barry Manilow Janet Jackson, Bob James, Al Jarreau, Carmen McRea, Gerry Mulligan and many others.
LORD KCB aka KCB, is widely known for his collaborations with internationally acclaimed, platinum selling recording group Us3 (Blue Note/ EMI).
Growing up in a musical environment his father managed jazz artists Roy Ayers and The Crusaders among others. KCB began acquiring his lyric and music writing skills at an early age.
It was a chance meeting at Green Acers shopping mall with music producer Lamont Booker, that lead to the recording “I’m Housin it” (Easy Street Records). The two collaborated on the follow up, Boomin Boomin (Red Heat Records). KCB’s lyrical dexterity and impressive song writing skills gained the attention of George Morel (Wiggle It) and Mojoe Nicosia (Atlantic Records A&R) producing the club hit ‘You Got Me Burning Up” (Strictly Rhythm Records) which received heavy club/radio play and critical acclaim, charting on Billboard Magazine’s – New & Noteworthy. KCB credits Mojoe Nicosia for his involvement with Acid Jazz recording group The Jazzhole (Blue Moon/Atlantic Records) with whom he recorded two albums. It was the song “Betcha Gonna Want Me Back”, that attracted the attention of Us3 producer Geoff Wilkinson. This lead to KCB joining the group.
David Inniss has held down the bass chair for Jazzhole since 1996. His debut recording with the group is on the critically acclaimed Blackburst (2000).
Based in Metro New York he has performed and recorded with numerous musical artists, including R&B funk groups Vertical Hold (feat. Angie Stone), Aurra, and Xscape.
Mark Robohm, drummer for Jazzhole, began his professional music career in the mid-1990s with Belizbeha, an acid jazz band based in Burlington, Vermont. During this time, he frequently shared the stage with Jazzhole, forming close friendships with many of its members.
In the late 1990s, Mark moved to New York City, where he recorded on several Jazzhole albums and expanded his career, touring and recording with a diverse range of artists, including Tamar-Kali, Alicia Keys, and Jay Sean, among others. He now resides in Cold Spring, NY.
