Laurance, Bill: Do What You Want (The MK8 Sessions EP & Zeal EP)

Pianist, keyboardist and composer Bill Laurance’s is an original member of 5-time Grammy Award-winning group Snarky Puppy, and has toured the world countless times, playing hundreds of concerts to tens of thousands of fans worldwide. This collection is a combination of two EP’s from 2024 and 2021.

The title track "Do What You Want" written for the MK8 Sessions, shows off the latest edition to the Rhodes keyboard line. I am an absolute sucker for that Rhodes keyboard sound, and that is what the album is all about. His website states: "Laurance explores the dynamic performance capabilities and diverse sound characteristics of the Rhodes MK8 through four original compositions ranging from swing to indie rock.

The melody of "Set Piece" catches and sticks in my head, while the jazzy swing feel of the title track "Do What You Want" features more keyboard playing shines with that standup bass killing it. I can’t state how much I enjoy this track. "What it Is" has that feeling of motion, funky and driving. The tonality and texture that the Rhodes gets here is another favorite sound of mine. Laurance certainly gets to show his skills as both player and composer. Laurance is joined by Menelik Claffey on all basses, and Oscar Ogden on drums.

Zeal is a 3 track ep, leading off with the spacey atmospheric title track. Laurance is joined by The Untold Orchestra creating a lush symphonic sound with an almost electronica feel from the drums. As you get into the track, the band comes out a bit more while Laurance solos and the orchestra sits back. "Balm" features a captivatingly gorgeous piano melody. The closing "Artifice" is spacey and atmospheric, think soundtrack music, I could picture this in a movie.

I prefer the Do What You Want ep just because of the sheer energy, but I also look at this as you get to hear two sides of a wonderful composer.

Track List:
MK8 Sessions (EP)
1. Set Piece
2. Do What You Want
3. Juju
4. What it Is
Zeal (EP)
1. Zeal
2. Balm
3. Artifice

Added: September 15th 2024
Reviewer: Eric Porter
Score:
Related Link: Artist Website
Hits: 136
Language: english

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