Eric Krasno Rediscovers His Roots

via TheWaster.com

Guitar player Eric Krasno recorded his latest album, Blood From a Stone, by accident.

Two years before the album was released, he reached out to Ryan Zoidis, sax player for Krasno’s funk band, Lettuce, and David Gutter, Zoidis’ bandmate from Rustic Overtones, and expressed interest in workshopping some ideas for a new project. Zoidis and Gutter had been doing some recording out of a barn in Portland, Maine, and they invited Krasno to come up and write some songs.

“It was really like a hang. Like, let’s go hang and write a few tunes,” Krasno said.

Krasno and Gutter worked day and night writing. Krasno brought in equipment to start making demos. Then Gutter and Zoidis started calling some musicians they knew in the area, and soon enough they had a string section and a choir demoing with them. They started to like what they heard.

“It sounds quirky and dirty and whatever, but we loved how it started sounding. We were like ‘hey we’re not demoing, we’re recording,’” Krasno said. “This is a record.”

The album—Krasno’s first solo record and his debut as a lead singer—wouldn’t be released for another two years, after Krasno enlisted the help of producers Russell Elevado (D’Angelo) and Jeremy Most (Emily King). The recordings from the barn in Portland were the foundation for the product.

For those who have followed Krasno’s career, Blood From A Stone may seem as surprising a product as the production that led to it. The album is more informed by rockers and jammers of the ‘60s—The Allman Brothers, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles—than the soul and funk music that have shaped Krasno’s career in his funk bands Soulive and Lettuce. It also features Krasno front and center as lead vocalist—a role that he has never taken on before. But in reality, the album is a natural return to the influences that first introduced him to music, an organic exploration of Krasno’s roots.

“The funny thing is that that’s what I grew up listening to and playing though,” Krasno said of those ‘60s influences. “So really me stepping into Soulive was a little bit more out of the box. It’s just what people knew me for and that’s what I did for so long.”

Krasno was a fan of the funk and soul that takes a more prominent role in shaping Soulive’s music—James Brown, Herbie Hancock, Tower of Power—but he drew from it consciously to keep up after Soulive took off.

“I stocked up on my soul jazz records and went out there and kind of, you know, initially faked it a little,” he said. “I never owned a hollow-body. I bought it on the way to the first session.”

As for singing, Krasno says it’s really more something that fell off to the wayside than a newly discovered calling. As a kid, he did musicals.

“As that became not as cool and guitar became cooler, I kind of went into that role,” he said. “A lot of times the artists I was working with, whether it was Susan Tedeschi or Nigel Hall or Aaron Neville or whatever, they’d be like, well why don’t you just sing? And I was like, ‘well, you know, I’m gonna do it one of these days.’ It just took a long time.”

Blood From A Stone features Krasno’s impressive vocals over 10 tracks of varying styles. “Torture” could be a track off of Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland. “Unconditional Love” has a hint of the Beatles. “I Need Love,” rests on bluesy garage rock reminiscent of the Black Keys. It’s a dynamic collection of songs that allow Krasno to experiment with his voice, as he sings on personal subjects of love and betrayal.

Krasno added that he had been spending a lot of time with longtime Allman Brothers guitarist Derek Trucks, which helped inform the album’s jam-rock tilt. “Curse Lifter” features the guitar virtuosos trading licks over an Allman-esque jam centered around a harmonized guitar line. That collaboration is also a return to Krasno’s roots—Soulive’s first national tour was opening up for the Derek Trucks band.

“He’s maybe my favorite current player out there,” Krasno said of Trucks. “He’s just always been super generous.”

Since the album’s release, Krasno has been busy touring with his new band, a hodgepodge of hand-selected musicians chosen to help bring the studio album to life. On stage, the album has taken on new life, Krasno says, as the band works to find itself. And even while this latest project is a return to Krasno’s roots, it provides an opportunity to experiment and explore in a way that feels new, with a new group of musicians who can trailblaze together.

“Part of why I do so many different things is because I like to keep it fresh and try to, the more that I can kind of stretch out and try different things, the more excitement that I get out of it,” he said. “Currently right now my band, it’s really exciting because we’re like doing a lot of things for the first time.”

Eric Krasno on The Takeaway (WNYC)

Grammy-winning artist Eric Krasno has spent 20 years in the music industry. He's the guitar player for Soulive, Lettuce, and has played with and written for The Rolling Stones, The Roots, Norah Jones, 50 Cent, Talib Kweli, and Aaron Neville, just to name a few.

Now, Krasno is out with a solo album, "Blood from a Stone," which was released earlier this month. He talks to us about his creative process and discovering his own voice.

Elmore Magazine Live Review - Brooklyn Bowl

Eric Krasno regularly takes up residency at the Brooklyn Bowl. His annual Soulive shows have become highly anticipated events, with friends like Luther Dickinson, Susan Tedeschi and Robert Randolph joining him on his home stage. Williamsburg’s twenty-somethings have embraced Krasno’s eclectic mix of rock, funk and jazz served up in the old-fashioned jam-band style their parents rocked to a generation or more ago.

It was therefore only fitting that Krasno and his new lineup were the headliners chosen to celebrate the seventh anniversary of the Brooklyn Bowl’s quirky blend of music and bowling in a lively beer hall atmosphere. In addition, Krasno had something of his own to celebrate: the release of a new album, Blood From A Stone, a fine effort that features the guitarist stepping out on vocals.

As if that weren’t enough for music fans to brave the TSA-like security on a steamy July night, opening for Krasno was the Marcus King Band, an eponymous six-piece powerhouse fronted by a 20-year-old phenom, to heat things up even further with a scorching set that took most of the audience by surprise. Hailing from Greenville, South Carolina, Marcus King is a protégé of the esteemed Warren Haynes and looks and plays very much like his mentor. King’s bluesy Southern rock is an updated version of the genre’s finest traditions. The band’s first album, Soul Insight, was released last year on Haynes’s Evil Teen label, and if the response from discerning Brooklynites is any measure, Marcus King is a talent to be reckoned with for years to come.

Krasno then took the stage with an air-tight band featuring Danny Mayer on guitar, Alex Chakour on bass, DeShawn Alexander on keys, Eric Kalb on drums and Mary Corso on vocals and tambourine. Jump starting the set with some playful jamming, Krasno stepped up and handled the lead vocals impressively on “Torture,” “Jezebel,” “Waiting On Your Love” and other songs from Blood From A Stone. The album’s only instrumental, “Curse Lifter,” was a dual-guitar showcase for Krasno and Danny Mayer along with DeShawn Alexander’s keyboards. Marcus King returned to sing and shred on the blues standard, “Sweet Little Angel,” and was warmly embraced by Krasno and the crowd.

From start to finish it was a four-hour show of forward-facing music and superb musicianship. Adding such fine new originals and strong vocals to his existing strengths as a six-string master, Eric Krasno is putting the progressive rock world on notice that he’s taking his game to a new level. He’ll be touring behind the new album all summer and into the fall, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to see for yourself.

-Peter Jurew, Elmore Magazine

A Festive Celebration with Eric Krasno Band

via Brooklyn Bowl

I wonder if anyone has the complete count of all the times Eric Krasno’s been on the Brooklyn Bowl stage — even a ballpark number would probably be an underestimation. So closely linked is Kraz with the Bowl’s now seven-year history that having him headline its anniversary party is almost a foregone conclusion. And to be part of these packed festivities — decorations, balloon drop and all — was to celebrate not only the venue, but also a new chapter for Krasno: a groovy-as-hell new band that draws on many of the sounds and styles for which he’s celebrated and places them in a new context.

Krasno is a world-class guitarist and a respectable singer, and the Eric Krasno Band celebrates both with ample helpings of blues, soul, R&B, and jazz fusion. Overall, the sounds from his debut album, Blood from a Stone, aren’t far afield from Soulive, Lettuce or any of his many other associations, but they sound of a piece with one another. Krasno doesn’t need to reject what’s core to his more famous bands to carve out an identity here — the consistency of the music and the choice in co-conspirators do that superbly. And while it’s clear whose band it is, he’s just as happy to lean back into his ensemble, playing off guitar foil Danny Mayer, riding a hot, malleable pocket from bassist Alex Chakour and drummer Eric Kalb, harmonizing and doing some good-natured egging with singer Mary Corso, or turning whole sections of jam space over to DeShawn Alexander, who had an especially strong night.

I wonder if anyone has the complete count of all the times Eric Krasno’s been on the Brooklyn Bowl stage — even a ballpark number would probably be an underestimation. So closely linked is Kraz with the Bowl’s now seven-year history that having him headline its anniversary party is almost a foregone conclusion. And to be part of these packed festivities — decorations, balloon drop and all — was to celebrate not only the venue, but also a new chapter for Krasno: a groovy-as-hell new band that draws on many of the sounds and styles for which he’s celebrated and places them in a new context.

Krasno is a world-class guitarist and a respectable singer, and the Eric Krasno Band celebrates both with ample helpings of blues, soul, R&B, and jazz fusion. Overall, the sounds from his debut album, Blood from a Stone, aren’t far afield from Soulive, Lettuce or any of his many other associations, but they sound of a piece with one another. Krasno doesn’t need to reject what’s core to his more famous bands to carve out an identity here — the consistency of the music and the choice in co-conspirators do that superbly. And while it’s clear whose band it is, he’s just as happy to lean back into his ensemble, playing off guitar foil Danny Mayer, riding a hot, malleable pocket from bassist Alex Chakour and drummer Eric Kalb, harmonizing and doing some good-natured egging with singer Mary Corso, or turning whole sections of jam space over to DeShawn Alexander, who had an especially strong night.

The Blood material fleshed out most of the two-hour headlining set: world-weary soul in “Jezebel” and “Torture,” Allman Brothers–esque jazz-rock in “Curse Lifter” (which on the album, Krasno noted, features Derek Trucks), roiling R&B and steamy soul in “On the Rise.” You could hear many of Krasno’s influences as well as some of the more recent sonic palettes he’s been painting with, from Hendrix to George Benson, Led Zeppelin to the Grateful Dead. And there was marvelous interplay with some inevitable special guests: old pal Nigel Hall on “Unconditional Love,” always-welcome phenom Brandon “Taz” Niederauer up for Hendrix’s “Manic Depression,” and Marcus King — who’d played a furiously soulful set with his own band to open the night — laying waste to “Sweet Little Angel” and an exchange of guitar conversation that both sparked and smoldered. Hot night in the city and hotter night inside the Bowl, the way a summer party should be.  —Chad Berndtson | @Cberndtson

Elmore Magazine Review

For nearly two decades, Eric Krasno has made his bones as a musician, songwriter and producer across the rock, soul and jazz spectrum. His latest solo release, Blood From A Stone, is fittingly diverse, featuring ten original compositions that touch all the bases.

Krasno is a highly regarded collaborator, having played with and/or produced for Derek Trucks, Dave Matthews, Justin Timberlake, 50Cent, Aaron Neville and Norah Jones. His own bands —Soulive and Lettuce—are a jazz trio and a multi-piece funk powerhouse. He’s also a familiar face on the jam-band scene, having appeared with the Allman Brothers during their Beacon runs and with Tedeschi Trucks and Phil Lesh and Friends. The only thing Krasno has never been known for is his vocals, but all that has now changed.

Working with long-time writing partner Dave Gutter, the pair composed several highly personal songs that helped Krasno find his voice. “Waiting on Your Love,” the album’s opening track, is Steve Miller on steroids, an accessible tune with a mighty riff and a driving beat. Krasno can hold his own with today’s top guitarists, but Blood from a Stone features tight constructions sans extended soloing. “Torture,” “Jezebel” and “Natalie” all clock in under four minutes each and demonstrate different facets of Krasno’s guitar work and vocals. He cites Hendrix, the Stones and Zeppelin as influences, along with the Dead, Marley and Coltrane. There are threads of all of them here as Krasno shifts among styles, sometimes within the same song.

Co-writer Gutter contributes background vocals on several cuts, and the album, recorded mostly in Maine, features friends who dropped in to add a lick on keyboards or horns. For extra firepower, Derek Trucks joins Krasno on “Curse Lifter,” the album’s only instrumental track. The dual-guitar lines are reminiscent of Elizabeth Reed, highlighting both players’ considerable chops.

Krasno is a fixture on the New York music scene, a Brooklyn hipster before the term took on a tone of irony. Soulive frequently performs at the Brooklyn Bowl for multi-night residencies with unannounced guests that have included Luther Dickinson, Robert Randolph, John Scofield, Susan Tedeschi, Joe Russo and other top-tier musicians. Krasno will be appearing there on July 7th to celebrate the release of Blood from a Stone. The CD is a solid effort that expands his credentials, but Krasno’s live performances have traditionally been the better showcase for his talents. Be sure to check him out if you get the chance.

-Lou Montesano, Elmore Magazine

Fuse CD Review: Eric Krasno Steps Out as a Leader in “Blood From a Stone”

By Scott McLennan, The Arts Fuse

Eric Krasno’s influence on modern funk and soul cannot be overstated. He’s brought vision, inspiration, and fierce guitar chops to the bands Soulive and Lettuce. He’s written and produced songs for numerous artists in the orbit of new-school classicism. And Krasno has proven that he is capable of stretching out in different directions; he’s both answered the call to sub as the bass player for Tedeschi Trucks Band when it needed one for a tour, and produced tracks for contemporary hip-hop artists 50 Cent and Talib Kweli.

What Krasno has not done until now is step up as a bona fide band leader.

The new Blood From a Stone nicely covers that base.

On his debut solo record, Krasno sings nine of the album’s 10 tracks, moving to the forefront in a way that we haven’t seen during his 20 years of being one of the dudes in the band or the genius behind the boards.

Blood From A Stone is being released today and Krasno will feature material from the new album when he plays July 14 at the Brighton Music Hall in Boston.

Krasno’s vocal style is similar to his guitar playing in terms of putting a premium on mood and atmosphere. And, as he has displayed through his guitar prowess, Krasno is quite capable of shifting, grooving, moving, and warping those moods and atmospheres across the course of a project.

The album kicks off with “Waiting on Your Love,” which could have fit into a Soulive set of simmering organ-driven jazz instrumental jams, that is until Krasno lets loose with some laid back vocals, here shrouded in thick bass grooves and blasts of keys.

It’s a cool and inviting start, a successful invitation to check the remainder of the 45-minute ride.

Krasno moves into a harder blues sound with “Torture” and follows that with a sleeker R&B number “Jezebel,” which also affirms his guitar-god status with a spectral solo wrapping up the tune.

The one-two punch of “Unconditional Love” and “Please Ya” are ample evidence that Krasno has enough of his own gas in the tank to take on an independent project, one that lets him air out ideas distinctly separate from his work with the other bands.

“Unconditional Love” is a lovely bit of soul-pop with melodic nods to George Harrison’s early solo work and pumped up with a team of harmony singers and layers of keys; don’t worry, it’s all lyrical blossom with no clutter.

“Please Ya” looks back even further to classic ’60s soul. What Krasno lacks in technical abilities as a vocalist he ably compensates for with a convincing emotional delivery. Here, Krasno creates sparks by deftly teasing out the pleading and lamenting in the tune’s lyrics, punctuating the yearning with his adroit guitar work.

Guest appearances are highlighted in the album’s second half. First, guitarist Derek Trucks and Krasno get into a fine tangle on the instrumental “Curse Lifter,” which marries Allman-esque ascending riffs to percolating rhythm tracks.

Powerhouse vocalist Alecia Chakour, who sings on the latest Lettuce album, is featured on “Wicked This way,” powerfully evoking the song’s lush, deep blue tone.

Krasno lightens the mood for the finale, taking a gospel style approach to the swaying groove of “When the Day Comes.”

A worthy addition to an already impressive body of work, Blood From a Stone proves that the chameleonic Krasno, after two decades, continues to develop as an artist.