Commissions
Nation Beat
What makes Nation Beat so special is that it offers no simple answers. When band leader Scott Kettner looks at a map, he sees a direct line that connects the rivers of northeastern Brazil to the parishes of New Orleans and the streets of NYC. A master percussionist, composer and educator, Kettner is the guiding force behind Nation Beat and has been tracing the similarities between the music and culture of northeastern Brazil and the American South for two decades, through recordings and performances as well as educational and community outreach programs. More recently, Kettner has been conceptualizing a new sound for Nation Beat that blends the roots styles of New Orleans and Brazil with his background in jazz and hybrid drumming. In 2018 he began composing and collaborating with tenor saxophonist and arranger Paul Carlon.
Together, they shaped the ensemble’s sound for their new phase in cross-cultural explorations, and furthering Nation Beat’s history of being rhythm gatherers, harvesting the fruit of 500 years of cultural crossbreeding resulting in a 21st century mash-up of the thunderous grooves of northeastern Brazil with the strolling swagger of New Orleans via NYC. Nation Beat is a NYC-Brazilian collision that parades with an infectious, audacious energy, seamlessly bridging folkloric Brazilian rhythms with classic American roots music in an altogether creative and original manner.
Album Fund
FreshGrass Album Fund provides funding to artists and bands who are in the creative process of making an album. The funding is in the form of a grant so artists maintain all ownership of their work. These grants offered by FreshGrass Foundation are to inspire and facilitate artist’s and band’s creative freedom. The funds can be used for both production and distribution of new roots songs, music or tracks. Listed below are albums that have been produced with the help of the FreshGrass Album Fund.
The Royal Chase (NBM) is an album that represents a distinctive sound for Nation Beat. It is the primal sounds of brass instruments mixed with drums and percussion, reinterpreting classics and presenting original songs for curious listeners who thrive on musical pluralism and surprises. The new Nation Beat sound is unplugged and funky. Forró, Funk, Brass ’n’ Sass!
“I wanted to reimagine the classic forró songs from Brazil as vehicles for improvisation in a funky brass band format.” Kettner enthuses in the studio where he co-produced The Royal Chase with longtime friend and collaborator Rob Curto (Lila Downs, David Krakauer), “I’ve always imagined my musical heroes making music together and what it would sound like, what kind of energy it would generate. Dr. John and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band meets Chico Science and Jackson do Pandeiro.”
That energy comes through this album in spades. The original compositions blur the lines between genres and bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary music. Throughout, there is a fascinating and funky blend of the roots styles of New Orleans and Brazil. NOLA jazz slips and slides around Brazilian baio; insistent maracatu beats push a Second Line sway. Guest vocals and a stellar production add to the overall power of The Royal Chase.
The Royal Chase represents all that is evident in cross-cultural explorations and the importance of sharing, learning and discovering. But forget the musical history; this is music to make you dance.
