I’ve been a big fan of the Ropeadope Experiment series, beginning back in June 2001 with The Philadelphia Experiment - featuring ?uestlove, Christian McBride, and Uri Caine with special guest Pat Martino. The Detroit Experiment, produced by Aaron Luis Levinson and Carl Craig, followed soon after with a stellar cast including Amp Fiddler, Geri Allen, Karriem Riggins and many more. 2007 saw the release of The Harlem Experiment, once again produced by Levinson, which dug into a crossover blend of Latin Jazz and Funk with a diverse cast including Steven Bernstein, Carlos Alomar, Don Byron, Taj Mahal, Olu Dara, Queen Esther, and Steve Berrios. Now we are poised to hear The Chicago Experiment, born of collaborations organized by Greg Spero and his hometown friends Makaya McCraven, Marquis Hill, Joel Ross, Irvin Pierce, Jeff Parker, and Darryl Jones.
Mentored by the great Herbie Hancock, Greg Spero has been making improvisational music that is difficult to categorize. Touring as keyboardist for pop singer Halsey as she made her big move on the charts gave him the range of experience and confidence on any stage. With his Spirit Fingers bandmates, bassist Max Gerl, drummer Mike Mitchell and guitarist Dario Chiazzolino, he picks and chooses from the sounds of fusion and groove and takes off into pop and Hip-Hop exploration. The addition of some guest artists, plus singers like Judi Jackson make Peace, their latest release, worth repeated listening.
Greg’s Tiny Records’ Tiny Rooms Sessions have spawned some further musical stews, and the latest single from that project “Easily Offended” has just been released.
Podcast 757 is my conversation with Greg, as we talk about the widely diverse musical projects he has been working on, and hear “Maxwell Street” form The Chicago Experiment, plus tracks from Peace, and “Easily Offended.”
