Biography
New Zion Trio characterize their music as "Forward Roots Reggae meets Spiritual Jazz, Soul, and Doom Dub," and the description holds. Although jazz relies on syncopation and wide-ranging harmonics while dub reggae favors steady, hypnotic, beat-driven pulses, the two idioms prove compatible rather than opposed; these seasoned musicians expand the possibilities of each within a strikingly personal approach. The ensemble formed in New York during 2010 with Jamie Saft handling piano and Fender Rhodes, Craig Santiago on drums, and Larry Grenadier on acoustic bass. Because all three maintain packed calendars, they developed their interplay through sporadic New York club appearances. Their first recording, Fight Against Babylon, appeared on Veal Records in 2011 and earned uniformly favorable notices. The track "Hear I Jah" later surfaced on Grooveman Spot’s 2013 compilation Mellow Groove Vibes.
After Grenadier departed in 2012, bassist Brad Jones—a bandleader who has collaborated with Ornette Coleman, the Jazz Passengers, and Don Byron—joined the group. Their next album, Chaliwa, arrived in 2013 and received widespread international praise; producer Christian Castagno subsequently reworked “Ina Sade Dub” for the collection Don Letts Presents: Dread Meets Yasushi Ide - In the Land of the Rising Dub. Over the following years the trio managed only scattered performances whenever individual commitments allowed. Beginning in 2014 Saft established a continuing association with RareNoise Records that led to Sunshine Seas, the band’s third album. Issued in spring 2016, the set was co-led with Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista.
After Grenadier departed in 2012, bassist Brad Jones—a bandleader who has collaborated with Ornette Coleman, the Jazz Passengers, and Don Byron—joined the group. Their next album, Chaliwa, arrived in 2013 and received widespread international praise; producer Christian Castagno subsequently reworked “Ina Sade Dub” for the collection Don Letts Presents: Dread Meets Yasushi Ide - In the Land of the Rising Dub. Over the following years the trio managed only scattered performances whenever individual commitments allowed. Beginning in 2014 Saft established a continuing association with RareNoise Records that led to Sunshine Seas, the band’s third album. Issued in spring 2016, the set was co-led with Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista.
Albums
