Human Nature Jazz June 4, 2011

Human Nature, the East Bay guerilla jazz sextet, brings its unique blend of jazz to Rhythmix Cultural Works in Alameda on Saturday, June 4th. Human Nature's sound blends contemporary jazz with rock, funk, R&B and sultry female vocals - delivered with a performance vibe that delights non-jazz listeners and jazz veterans alike.

Tim Wat, the band's founder and keyboard player, notes, "Human Nature is committed to bringing real jazz with a rock 'n roll performance aesthetic. We're not about watching guys blow into their music stands for three hours. Where's the joy and fun in that?" Indeed, their live show presses hard to engage the audience and draw them in. Kelly McIntyre, the band's doe-eyed vocalist slyly adds, "We want to challenge your idea of what a jazz show can be. If you leave our show having had real fun and a great time, then we've accomplished what we've set out to do."

With original tunes that invoke the lyricism of Pat Metheny, the earthy funk of Tower of Power and even the edge of Michael Brecker, Human Nature's music is refreshingly eclectic. Also the band's principal composer, Wat insists that despite the wide range of sources Human Nature draws from, it's all jazz. "We want to surprise some notions of what the genre is. Despite the fact we have solid jazz backgrounds and a love for the genre from Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis to the present, we're urban musicians who play and sing about what our lives are today. Jazz isn't stuck in the '50s. It's not just for academics. We may draw on pop, rock and R&B, but the swing, interplay and language are jazz - jazz for real people. As we say, Jazz...it's only human."

Joe Klocek, a veteran comedian who has appeared on Comedy Central TV and NBC's "Last Comic Standing", was specifically picked by the band to open the show at 8PM.

Official Website: http://www.rhythmix.org/content/11events/110604.html