Last week, Vulf Records released a six-track EP under a new moniker The Fearless Flyers. The new band, comprised of Vulfpeck bassist Joe Dart, guitarist Cory Wong, drummer Nate Smith, and Snarky Puppy guitarist Mark Lettieri, have so far released three music-video supported tracks from the self-titled EP, with the rest of the tracks available for purchase/download here.
In addition to the previously released “Aces of Aces” and “Under the Sea / Flyers Drive”, Vulf Records has shared the music video for “Barbara”. Serving as the connective tissue between Vulfpeck and The Fearless Flyers, “Barbara” is a secondary version of Vulfpeck’s 2012 Vollmich version–definitive proof of their familial ties–and features Sandra Crouch on the trombone.
The new project, which is produced, composed, and mixed by the “Vulfmon” himself, Jack Stratton (bandleader/multi-instrumentalist of Vulfpeck), is seemingly a “2.0” version of the original Vulfpeck lineup. Basically, any musical group under the Vulf Records establishment will resonate with fans of Vulfpeck, as the brain and tools behind the music will all come from the same place. The Vulf Compressor, indeed, continues its legacy.
The full record is available today on Bandcamp and features all sorts of musical nuggets. “Introducing the Fearless Flyers” showcases the tight musicianship between the four players, providing the style of playing that fans of Vulfpeck crave from the band’s earlier days. A sped-up, jammed-out, funkified rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” appears on the EP, featuring guitarist Blake Mills and gospel performer Sandra Crouch, as well as a “kids” version of The Little Mermaid‘s “Under The Sea”.
The six-track presentation closes with “Bicentennial”, a clear continuation of the closing groove from Vulfpeck’s “Grandma” track from Mr. Finish Line. Vulfpeck’s soulful original version of the song features Antwaun Stanley on vocals, David T. Walker on guitar, and James Gadson on drums and closes with a 45-second groove that left fans wanting more in 2017. The Fearless Flyers’ “Bicentennial” is the extension of that groove and it features Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Elizabeth Lea on trombone and the voice of Jack Stratton as the “sibilant announcer.”
You can own a copy of The Fearless Flyers today for $6, if you didn’t already reserve a copy of the vinyl, here. Listen to “The Seal Team 6 of funk” take on “Barbara” below: