Scott Amendola and Wil Blades announce crowdfunding campaign for debut album

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The formidable jazz drums/organ duo Amendola vs. Blades have announced their first record, expected out September 2016 and fan-funded through PledgeMusic. Greatest Hits is the tongue-in-cheek title of a record chronicling a live performance in front of an Oakland crowd. Drummer Scott Amendola and Hammond B3 maestro Wil Blades have been performing together on-and-off for a decade and Greatest Hits is a long-overdue fruit of a partnership that’s generated a stir in their San Francisco Bay area home environs.

That partnership sprung from an ambitious idea Amendola had to adapt a Duke Ellington suite to a drums and organ arrangement but the “hits” performed on Greatest Hits are all originals composed by the two. And that’s quite alright, as these two have demonstrated the songwriting chops to supplement their ample skills at their respective instruments. As is typical of their pedigree, don’t expect them to stay stuck on one style as they are prone to pivot effortlessly among funk, fusion, avant-garde, rock as well as bebop during their shows, sometimes within a single piece.

That’s the kind of verve and chutzpah you should expect from an Amendola vs. Blades live album. To make a pre-order pledge, go here. The pledge period runs to August 9, 2016 but some items (including a VIP pass to one of their legendary shows) have limited availability so it’s best not to put off your pre-order.


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