Eugene Weekly CD Review from April 23rd issue's Music Section

by Vanessa Salvia

Disco Organica, "Rocket" 

RELEASED: 2009, self released

GENRE: Jazz-funk fusion

Disco Love Affair

Since 2004, Eugene’s Disco Organica has been creating their popular “electro-soul-funk-fusion,” as they call it. Readers of Eugene Weekly love it, and voted Disco Organica as one of the top three jazz acts in 2008. The band is celebrating the release of its second CD, Rocket, and despite the name, the band isn’t disco at all, rather sprawling, sophisticated and soulful funky-jazz.

“Ben’s News” starts with a smooth, horn-forward groove. A lively piano soon kicks in, driving the funky feel for more than six minutes, with the sax getting increasingly excited. By the time it reaches the end, the groove is polite again, back in its place and ready for the next tone poem. “Bjorkana,” by contrast, lays back in the groove and lets vocalist Erin Flood’s sultry, deep voice shimmer in the shadows. As the name suggests, “Zizzle” is zazzier, sending the sax and piano out on separate exploratory missions. 

Rocket was recorded at Crescent Studios in Eugene and engineered by Don Latarski, a well-known Eugene jazz and blues guitarist. The album features current members Jesse Ogle (bass), Justin Birge (drums), Matt Calkins (tenor sax), Ben Scharf (keys) and Brad Erichsen (guitar). Former members are also represented on the album, including Flood, Easton Stuard (keys and flute), Hector Gutierrez (turntables) and Heather Nixon (vocals). Disco Organica and Juno What? play at 8 pm Friday, April 24, at WOW Hall. $12 adv., $14 door. — Vanessa Salvia