ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Change, more change. Funk, ska, rock, blues, jazz, reggae, Nawlens might describe “Zia Soul,” Red Earth’s newest release and their third album in three years. Chock full of red-delicious music, “Zia Soul” is deeply styled with a brassy heartbeat. But, once you think you have a handle on it, suddenly you’re groovin’ just for a moment, with a classical Spanish guitar riff.
Swanky horns melt into traditional Navajo chant and half-time football marches crisscross into a wall of sound with Arabic sensibilities. Such is a Red Earthling opus. Yet, within the musical twists and gyrations, one thing remains the same: “da BEAT” igniting a sense of the rez humor.
“We found the ghost, we got the ghost,” laughs Jeff Duneman, whose percussion and drumming propels the heart of the Red Earth sound. He is referring to the subtle emanations of soul-saving within a gospel tent.
Duneman and Adrian Wall, bassist for Red Earth until recently, visited New Orleans last year and attended the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, known worldwide as “Jazz Fest.” The festival highlights indigenous cultural contributions to music and artists such as Fats Domino, Lil’ Romeo, the Neville Brothers and Mardi Gras Indian Chief Monk Boudreaux, who are regulars on the schedule. Duneman was floored by the gospel singers and returned to Albuquerque with a new inspiration.
“I’d stepped into the gospel tent to check out what they were doing,” he remembers, “and I was like, “holy cow! I was completely blown away. So when we got back I was messing with this groove that Ira (Wilson, front man) had and it kind of evolved into this New Orleans thing.”
Duneman and Red Earth have taken a leap forward with the addition of another flavor to an already eclectic mix that is most evident in the title cut, “Zia Soul.” A heavier emphasis is put on their horn section than previously and their sound has a mellower, yet still funky flavor.
“It’s like gospel heavy metal – it’s pretty wild, but a helluva a lot of fun though,” said Duneman.
“It feels good. It’s a good change,” said Carlo Johnson, lead guitarist who has a heavy-metal rock background. Johnson is also part of reggae-band Native Roots. He’d become familiar with the jazzy New Orleans style through friends and fellow band members.
“It opens your mind and your ears. I’ve never been there – New Orleans. The closest I’ve ever been is “Girls Gone Wild” – the video and Snoop Dog. That’s where I got my New Orleans influence from ? and just listening to all that dirty guitar,” he mugs.
But elements of other styles and past grooves still energize pieces on the album. “There’s rock and there’s reggae all over that CD – little tastes of it here and there,” explained Johnson.
“We just Nativize it,” said Duneman.
“Oh I love it, man,” said Wilson. “We’re trying out stuff that we hadn’t tried before. If anyone knows anything about Red Earth, they know we’ll try anything ? once,” he grins. “We have a helluva horn section with this album and why not showcase them?”
Change is also manifest in personnel lineup. Adrian Wall left to spend more time with his family and new baby. Christian Orellana is concentrating on his own project, Concepto Tambor.
Hideki Imai, trombonist on four of the tracks, returned to Japan because he’d graduated and his student visa ran out. “There was really nothing we could do to get him to legally stay. We kept telling him to marry a Native girl, but he was a little too shy,” said Duneman chuckling.
Saxophonist Ernesto Encinas, an active duty member of the U.S. Navy, received orders to San Diego, also in the middle of recording “Zia Soul.” Charlie Baca, a Red Earth founding member, returned.
“He got tired of wrestling alligators, man!” said Johnson gravely.
“He was with a traveling Native alligator wrestling circus,” interjected Duneman.
“He was in a sumo wrestling thong getup, all beaded ? and he got tired of it so he came back,” said Wilson with feigned seriousness.
“Captain Raab ? Raab-on-the-base, just kinda showed up. It’s a really weird story,” said Duneman. Originally from Seattle, Raab and Duneman exchanged e-mail as members of a Fishbone list. Out of the blue, Raab wrote to Duneman that he was moving to Albuquerque and asked if anyone needed a musician. Duneman jumped and added Raab to the Red Earth lineup, replacing Wall. John Simms on trombone completes the crew.
Red Earth won the prestigious “Debut Artist of the Year” award at the 2000 Native American Music Awards (NAMMYs) for their first album, “When Worlds Collide” and made it to the finals last fall in the New Mexico Band Showcase. More information about the band is available at www.tribalstew.com.
