Acclaimed keyboardist, composer and bandleader Lao Tizer today shares “Down” the first song and video released from The Lao Tizer Band’s upcoming album Amplify. The album which sees Tizer continuing to knock down boundaries and expand musical horizons is due out August 23. In addition to the album announce and song release, Tizer also announces tour dates to support Amplify (see below)
Stream "Down"
Watch "Down" Video on YouTube
Joining Tizer on the album is American Idol sensation, RIAA Platinum Certified singer Elliott Yamin who provides lead vocals on Amplify’s 5 original vocal tracks including today’s single, the R&B tinged “Down.”
“Elliott has been an unbelievable fit for this project and the band,” Tizer enthuses. “He’s very much a throwback to a blue-eyed soul kind of vocalist. This project was a little different from his usual wheelhouse, but he’s such a naturally gifted singer that he ran with it, adding his amazingly soulful thing to our harmonic, rhythmic and compositional sensibilities. He sings his butt off.”
The crossover sound that Tizer and his band explored on their previous album, 2018’s Songs From The Swinghouse, are further realized on Amplify with Yamin joining Tizer’s A-list ensemble who apply their magic to an exciting mix of smartly-grooved instrumentals and original vocal songs.
But as much as the Yamin’s vocal tracks are poised to knock listeners out, their proximity to the Tizer-penned instrumentals on Amplify can’t help but highlight the keyboardist’s uncanny ability to bring an equal measure of infectiousness, excitement, and accessibility to the instrumentals on the project.
“With this record, I definitely made a conscious effort to crossover to win over more general music fans,” says Tizer. “If you have music that is melodic and grooves, you can win over a broad array of listeners.”
Without sacrificing his trademark musical sophistication, Tizer pulls this off with an almost Steely Dan-like savvy, seamlessly incorporating a host of other modern influences–from jazz to R&B to world beat to jam band–into the music on Amplify.
Invaluable to this is his band that features GRAMMY-winning saxophonist Eric Marienthal (Chick Corea), Emmy-winning guitarist Chieli Minucci (Special EFX), Senegalese bassist Cheikh N'Doye (Baaba Maal), violinist extraordinaire Karen Briggs (Stanley Clarke), GRAMMY-winning drum phenom Gene Coye (Hiromi) and legendary GRAMMY-winning percussionist Munyungo Jackson (Stevie Wonder), as well as saxophone and flute wunderkind Danny Janklow (MONKestra) and Rolling Stone 2022 ”Bassist of the Year” nominee Anthony Crawford (Erykah Badu).
With Amplify, Tizer sets the stage for a wider audience with a broad, enticing, and personal musical vision–without a boundary in sight.
AMPLIFY TRACK LIST
Down
Boulevard Of Stars
Kat’s Groove
Why
Shades Of Love
Labyrinth
New Orleans
Carousel
Lullaby
Tour Dates:
JUNE
8--Thousand Oaks, CA – Bank of America Performing Arts Center “Pop Up Art & Music Fest”
28--Hampton, VA – Hampton Jazz Fest (Lao Tizer w/ Special EFX All-Stars)
29--Reston, VA – Concerts On The Town
JULY
1--Camden, NJ (Philadelphia) – Wiggins Amphitheater “Sunset Jazz Series”
6--Studio City, CA – The Baked Potato
11--Cumberland, MD – Levitt AMP! Cumberland Music Series
12--Hawley, PA (Scranton) – Harmony In The Woods
19--Ventura, CA – The Grape
20--San Diego, CA – Lou Lou’s Club @ The Lafayette Hotel
27--Paso Robles, CA – Libretto
28--Solvang, CA – Solvang Festival Theater
AUGUST
3--Memphis, TN – Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center (Lao Tizer w/ Special EFX All-Stars)
9--Richmond, VA – Richmond Jazz & Music Festival @ Hippodrome Theater
10--Richmond, VA – Richmond Jazz & Music Festival @ Maymont Park
16--Ypsilanti, MI – John E Lawrence Summer Jazz Series
18--Aspen, CO – JAS Café – Jazz Aspen Snowmass
29--Branford, CT – Branford Jazz Series
30--Hershey, PA – The Englewood Listening Room
SEPTEMBER
1--High Point, NC – John Coltrane International Jazz & Blues Festival
11--Wilmington, DE – Levitt AMP! @ UAE Amphitheater
20--Bishop, CA – Millpond Music Festival
21--Los Angeles, CA – Jazz @ Drew (Charles Drew University)
27--Houston, TX – Empire State Jazz Café
28--San Antonio, TX – Jazz’salive Festival
