Hear Mo'Fone interviewed live on KCSM

Hear Mo'Fone interviewed live on KALX
(MP3 - 6.7MB)

"What's up? The fabulously jazzy 'Surf's Up,'
that's what."
- Andy Gilbert (Contra Costa Times)

My favorite album of the year by far is 'Surf's Up' (Evander Music) by the extraordinary trio Mo'Fone, an East Bay band featuring drummer Jeremy Steinkoler and saxophonists Larry De La Cruz and Jim Peterson, who alternate on alto and baritone. I was hooked from the first track, a buoyant, almost giddy version of Weather Report's 'Black Market,' with De La Cruz's surging bari replacing Jaco Pastorius' lithe basswork. The group came together through serendipity about two years ago when a bassist didn't show up for Steinkoler's gig at Cato's Ale House in Piedmont. De La Cruz lives nearby, so he came to the rescue at the last minute, joining Peterson for an unusual two-saxophone and drums trio. "We had so much fun playing, we said, 'Let's do that again," Steinkoler said.   "A monthly gig at Cato's gave us a chance to work out material, and as soon as we started doing it, I felt really comfortable. I wasn't missing bass or rhythm guitar. It gave me a chance to use the bass drum in a different role." Steinkoler's orchestral approach to the trap set is thrilling. He's a whirlwind of activity, filling up empty spaces without sounding busy. But what makes 'Surf's Up' such an exhilarating ride is its range of material. From Earl King's Mardi Gras classic 'Big Chief' and Abdullah Ibrahim's savanna pastoral 'African Market' to Billy Cobham's funk-laden 'Crosswinds' and John Scofield's intricately grooving 'Kool,' Mo'Fone proves it's the biggest little band on the scene. On each piece, the trio finds ingenious ways of creating a full, multitextured, hard swinging sound. "It starts with one of us hearing a tune and imagining it in a different way, a combination of melody and bass line, and then we don't need no stinkin' chords,' Steinkoler said. "Sometimes we'll come in with a tune you wouldn't think would work. How can you play 'Big Chief' without the piano? Jim figures out parts he can fill up, weaving back and forth between bass parts and harmony. It kind of fools your ear. We've tried 'Black Dog' by Led Zeppelin, and we're dong 'Manic Depression' at the CD release."
"In a word, Mo'Fone delivers."
- Jim Nelson (www.allaboutjazz.com)

"The first Friday night of every month, The San Jose Museum of Modern Art hosts live music. The audience is a strange brew: young hipsters, brie-and-Chard museumgoers, dating retirees, and everyone in between. Even a few jazz fans show up. If they came at the beginning of May for Mo'Fone, they left more than impressed. Mo'Fone is jazz's answer to rock's power trio. Jeremy Steinkoler leads on the traps, delivering a steady onslaught of jazz and funk rhythms. He never descends into cliche; the dynamic nature of their music never gives him time to. Larry de la Cruz's sax work reminds me of Sonny Stitt in his later days, cool stuff served straight-up, never self-indulgent. What surprised me, and continues to, was the third man in this group, Jim Peterson on the baritone sax. Dressed in a gray double-breasted suit and looking a little like a CPA, he blew a mean horn, jumping with the beat and swooning around to deliver it to a nearby couple who'd decided to dance. And that's it: no bass, no piano, just two lower-register horns and a drummer. Gerry Mulligan's pianoless quartet taken to the next degree. I should add some caution to that comparison, though. Certainly this isn't a simple modern update of LA cool jazz. Everything's dripping of funk, much more modern than Mulligan's neo-Dixieland. And, just to make sure no one in the band (or audience) gets too comfy, both de la Cruz and Peterson deploy an arsenal of saxophones up and down the register, unwilling to sit behind their alto and baritone all night long. Although Mo'Fone's selections are perfect frameworks for improvisation, the group's far too mature to descend into cutting contests or far-out modal wanderings. I mistook one piece as a cover of 'Pick Up the Pieces' without all that Average White Band aftertaste, and perhaps that's the best way I can describe their sound. Don't mistake me; this isn't reheated 1970s crossover. The band sounds fresh without losing sight of its jazz grounding. In a word, Mo'Fone delivers."
"One of the hottest bands to surface in a long while."
- jazzwest.com

"One of the hottest bands to surface in a long while "Jeremy Steinkoler has been an active participant on the Bay Area jazz scene for more than a decade, collaborating with a wide array of players, including guitarists Adam Levy and Andre Bush. He started making a name for himself as a leader with his hard-swinging quartet. But he's definitely reached a new level with Mo'Fone. Judging by his new album, 'Surf's Up' (Evander Music), this extraordinary trio is one of the hottest bands to surface in a long while. Featuring saxophonists Larry De La Cruz and Jim Peterson, who alternate on alto and baritone, the group has developed a stomping repertoire, from Weather Report's classic 'Black Market' and John Scofield's 'Kool' to Led Zeppelin's 'Black Dog' and Jimi Hendrix's 'Manic Depression.' The group came together about two years when Steinkoler had a monthly gig at Cato's Ale House in Piedmont. The chemistry was so strong that they kept at it, developing material that fit the instrumentation. The concept works because Steinkoler's drumming is so orchestral, filling up just enough space so that the band's sound is always crunchy and satisfying. Steinkoler performs with both his quartet and Mo'Fone at Yoshi's on August 25 in one of Jazz In Flight's last gigs at the club."
"Mo'Fone achieves a mighty big sound
on its debut release."
- Lee Hildebrand (SF Bay Guardian)

From the streets of Soweto to those of New Orleans on Mardi Gras day, Mo'Fone takes a delightful, decidedly different romp through the musical riches of the African diaspora. The group's approach falls somewhere between those of the World Saxophone Quartet and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, but its instrumentation is more minimal than either. Composed of just trap drummer Jeremy Steinkoler and saxophonists Larry De La Cruz and Jim Peterson, with Danny Bittker adding a third sax voice on 3 of the 10 tracks. Mo'Fone achieves a mighty big sound on its debut release. The saxophonists double on clarinets and flutes, and each takes a turn at the bottom, blowing ostinatos on baritone or bass sax over which the others soar in solos that at times suggest the urgency of Albert Ayler or Arthur Blythe. Steinkoler, a master of second line syncopation in the tradition of such Crescent City giants as James Black and Zigaboo Modeliste, provides the glue that holds together Mo'Fone's original tunes and intriguing treatments of material borrowed from Professor Longhair, Weather Report, Billy Cobham, David Murray, John Scofield, Hemant Kumar, and Abdullah Ibrahim. Mo'Fone plays Fri/13 at Northbrae Community Church, Berkeley"
"A very strong, fun CD that will remain in my car
for the rest of the summer."
- Joe Doherty (www.jazzreview.com)

"As the title would seem to suggest, Mo'Fone has created a very upbeat summertime compact disc. Comprised from what would seem to be a Donald Fagan dream, Mo'Fone is lead by two remarkable saxophone players (who also play clarinets and flutes on select tracks) and an enjoyably funky drummer. The result is a perfect soundtrack for driving on your way to a beach or outdoor party. Mo'Fone's complement brings a full sound to the selection of songs, comprised mostly of well-chosen covers. Jim Peterson's baritone sax is very effective in replicating the bass lines, and Larry De La Cruz's very competent effort blends extremely well with Peterson (and Danny Bittker's tenor, appearing on 3 of the 10 tracks). Jeremy Steinkoler holds the tracks on the crest of the wave with very driving, funky style. Even with this minimalist complement, the arrangement is a lush, full sound. The stand-out tracks are the original songs "On Call" and "Surf's Up" written by Peterson, and "View of the Valley" written by De La Cruz. There are many different styles of world music that influence these tracks, as well as a keen sense for arrangement. John Scofield's "Kool" is perfectly placed on this CD, and Earl Gaines' "Big Chief" was an enjoyable romp (coming from a Dr. John fan). Make sure to read the liner notes describing the inspiration for the original material and a interesting facts/stories regarding the covers. This is a very strong, fun CD that will remain in my car for the rest of the summer."
"A Minimal but Mighty Romp!"
- East Bay Express
"Jazz musician hitting stride as two groups play Yoshi's." - Andy Gilbert (Contra Costa Times)

Maintaining one distinctive band is an impressive feat for a jazz musician Developing two simultaneous projects that boast signature sounds and repertoires is the mark of a player hitting his or her stride as a creative force. Which is why I'm going to catch East Bay drummer Jeremy Steinkoler when he sprints into Yoshi's on Aug. 25, leading two of the most exciting small acoustic combos on the scene. The concert opens with the J. Steinkoler Quartet, featuring Jim Peterson on alto sax, guitarist Andre Bush and bassist Sam Bevan. With a mix of Steinkoler originals and well-chosen covers, including pieces by film composer Ennio Morricone, guitarist Pat Metheny, Shawn Colvin and Neil Young ("Only Love Can Break Your Heart"), the group's book covers a vast emotional terrain, from moody ballads to ebullient funk. For the second set, Steinkoler presents his powerhouse trio Mo'Fone, with Peterson on saxophones and bass clarinet and Larry De La Cruz on saxophones, clarinet, flute and percussion. On its debut album "Surf's Up," released earlier this summer on Evander Music, the trio found ingenious ways to create a dense, multitextured, hard-swinging sound while exploring a spectacular array of material, all driven by Steinkoler's expansive rhythmic palette. "Mo'Fone's more in your face," Steinkoler said, comparing his two bands. There's something that's consistent about all the Mo'Fone material. The quartet does some moodier pieces, and all your musical ingredients are covered -- harmony, bass and rhythm. We have the more standard instrumentation, and the question is, where are we going to explore from there? In Mo'Fone, everything we do is going to be unique because of how we end up filling space. The process is the product."
"Sure to gain wider recognition."
- John Stevenson (www.ejazznews.com)

"Mo'Fone sounds like a furious detachment of the Tower of Power horns. It's no surprise that the disc was recorded in Oakland, California. This curious line-up of baritone and alto sax and drums cuts across a broad swathe of grooves (Cobham's "Crosswind" and Abdullah Ibrahim's "African Market" for example) and is full of meaty horn arrangements and solid stickwork. With inventive drummer Jeremy Steinkoler at the helm, the group is sure to gain wider recognition."

"The Mighty Mo'Fone Returns."
- SF Chronicle

"Sunday @ Anna's Jazz Island: After a long hiatus, the mighty Mo'Fone returns. Led by drummer Jeremy Steinkoler, this pugnacious trio with reed experts Larry de la Cruz and Jim Peterson swings so hard that it sounds like an ensemble twice its size."

"One of the funkiest jazz albums you'll ever hear."
- Carl Abernathy (Jazz Blog)

"Mo’fone’s return to the studio to record a follow-up to “Surf’s Up” is pretty good news for jazz fans. “Surf’s Up,” released in 2003, is one of the funkiest jazz albums you’ll ever hear. The band’s cover of Weather Report’s “Black Market,” which leads the album, has enthralled several of my middle-aged friends and their teenaged children. Jim Peterson dances around the melody with his alto saxophone while Larry De La Cruz on baritone saxophone and Jeremy Steinkoler on drums provide a New Orleans-based funk beat underneath. Peterson and De La Cruz exchange instruments for a straight-up funk rendition of Billy Cobham’s “Crosswind.” If the song had been recorded three years earlier it would have been a perfect fit on the soundtrack of John Singleton’s update of “Shaft.” The song, like John Shaft, moves with a jaunty swagger that’s bound to make more than a few women stop and take notice. Mo’fone’s version of David Murray’s “Flowers for Albert” is my favorite track on the album. Danny Bitker joined the group on bass saxophone for the tune, which allows De la Cruz to play the flute. Joined by Peterson on alto saxophone, they form a sort of free jazz trio that reminds me a little of Odean Pope’s Saxophone Choir. The difference is that Steinkoler again drives the song with a funky New Orleans beat. The group illustrates its Crescent City chops on Earl King’s “Big Chief.” And the guys show they’ve been influenced by music from around the world when they play Abdullah Ibrahim’s “African Market.” Steinkoler’s percussion work on the song is outstanding; he sounds almost like he’s performing in an African production of “Stomp." I envy my friends who live in San Francisco because Mo’fone, which is based there, plays Bay area shows all the time. But at least there’s a new album coming. We all need a little more groove in our lives."