The band came together in 1998, after the members met whilst being involved with Sonoma State University's Jazz Program. Harrison Stafford, the band's frontman, was teaching a course on the history of Reggae music, when he teamed up with Kris Dilbeck to create Young Tree Records, with the first release being Groundation's debut, "Young Tree" in 1999. The band has since expanded to include Ryan Newman (bass), David Chachere (trumpet), Te Kenawa Haereiti a.k.a Rufus (drums), Kim Pommell and Sherida Sharpe (backing vocals), Marcus Urani (keyboards), Daniel Wlodarczyk (trombone) and Jason Robinson (sax/flute).
WIth a 9-piece band, Groundation create an exciting, full sound that travels through many eclectic influences; latin and African rhythms, jazz and funk inspired melodies and soul-based vocal harmonies. Their live shows are known for their improvisation, helping to create an upbeat, energetic atmosphere, furthering their esteem internationally.
Since Groundation's debut in 1999, they have gone on to release nine further albums, all consistently delivering quality slabs of progressive roots reggae, with highlights including the all-dub album, "Dub Wars" (2005), 2006's breakthrough, "Upon the Bridge," and recent albums such as 2009's "Here I Am" and 2014's "A Miracle." Their recordings have also featured the talents of the legendary Don Carlos and The Congos, who appeared on 2003's "Hebron Gate" and 2004's "We Free Again." Groundation have toured regularly throughout their career and are favorites on the international festival circuit.
Hearing bands take influences from multiple genres and creating something fresh and new is something that I really admire, especially when they play their own music live, and Groundations fusion of roots reggae, jazz and dub creates an original and exciting genre of music. Harrison Stafford, the front man of the band, is an incredibly talented guitarist as well as a singer, and he holds the 9 piece band together really well.
The combination of the instrumental tracks, and the songs with vocals on them was great, and the way that they seamlessly transitioned from one song into the next was very controlled and if you didn’t know the music you would think it was one extended song. The band don’t use any electronic or digital equipment or in their recordings, so their authentic 70s sound remains present in their performances.
They occasionally had a break between songs, and they would shout out to the audience, see if we were all enjoying the show, and get everyone to sway or dance along to the tracks when it was appropriate. They played a selection of tracks ranging from their first album Young Tree, right up to A Miracle, the 2014 album. It was a great variety, and they’re an extremely talented bunch.
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