Broun Fellinis: S.F. trio set to release 9th album
Andrew Gilbert, Special to The San Francisco Chronicle
Thursday, January 26, 2012
In the early 1990s, Broun Fellinis embodied the best of San Francisco's thriving acid jazz scene. At clubs like Bruno's and Cafe Du Nord, the protean trio honed a swirling melange of dub and funk, prog rock and drum 'n' bass, Afrobeat and hip-hop, all laced together with jazz's improvisational imperative.
Founded by drummer Kevin Carnes, saxophonist David Boyce and bassist Ayman Mobarak (replaced in 1994 by Kirk Peterson), Broun Fellinis brought international attention to the Bay Area's simmering creative cauldron by seamlessly integrating poets, rappers and DJs into their combustible performances. Two decades later, the environment that spawned Broun Fellinis is long gone, but the trio are still toiling fruitfully in their sonic laboratory, exploring new avenues for group interactions.
"A scene happened and we happened to fit in, but just because that scene ended didn't mean we had to," Carnes says. "We could have fit into the jam band scene if we chose to advertise ourselves that way. Now, if people listen to some of the Japanese noise bands, we could fit into that. Back in the day, we played at the Warfield with General Public, out of the post-ska scene. Some kids in the room cocked their heads quizzically, but others got it, heard the relationship between dub and reggae in our perspective. Those elements are always there."
Headlining a triple bill Sunday at Du Nord with the Nice Guy Trio and Black Quarterback, the Fellinis celebrate the release of their ninth album, "Blam!!!," a session of kaleidoscopic funk rock created over the course of a day in the studio.
In many ways, the Fellinis have created their own musical microcosm with a series of interlocking ensembles: Founded in 2010, Black Quarterback features Carnes, Boyce and guitarist Michael Cavaseno, with each player contributing to the groove-laden mix with stomp boxes, sequencers and samplers.
And when veteran George Clinton and P-Funk guitarist and vocalist RonKat Spearman decided to launch his own vessel, he recruited the Fellinis and Cavaseno (who played a key role in the seminal Oakland rock en español band Orixa). The band, Katdelic, honed its sound in the lounge at Yoshi's San Francisco, developing a loose set of themes, textures and rhythmic conceits.
"We don't really write songs," Carnes says. "We superimpose songified ideas. Some nights the music Smore driving and danceable, and some nights are more ambient."
While the Fellinis might be at the center of an incestuous scene, they're anything but insular. Including the Nice Guy Trio on Sunday's program offers a fascinating contrast, as the acoustic ensemble featuring trumpeter Darren Johnston, accordionist Rob Reich and bassist Daniel Fabricant draws on an equally vast array of influences while exploring detailed compositions with dynamics calibrated like chamber music.
"We want to share the stage with people we like and admire," Carnes says. "We picked them because they're another band that makes interesting sounds. With all our crazy noise and electronics, it's a nice juxtaposition. People will get yet another sonic adventure."