Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is a household name in the United States - and not just in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the band started out in 1994. Its earlier names include Pimp Cocktail and Sphere Jazz Quartet, and it is now referred to as JFJO or The Fred. The current formation consists of Brian Haas on piano, Chris Combs on lap steel guitar, Jeff Harshbarger on bass and Josh Raymer on drums. Horn players Peter Apfelbaum, Steven Bernstein and Mark Southerland are special guests. With this lineup, JFJO brings the fascinating album The Race Riot Suite to life. An opus magnum by Chris Combs that tells the story of the 1921 race riots in Tulsa; how hundreds of African Americans were murdered and an entire neighborhood reduced to ashes. The suite consists of twelve parts that shift back and forth between beautiful melodies, free passages and the raw rhythms of New Orleans. Music that not only offers history, but also puts it into perspective.
