The new season of VFJams LIVE! is off and running! Produced by Vic Firth, the well-known maker of drumsticks and other percussion mallets, the weekly jam session video series brings together a group of highly talented musicians for performances that highlight a particular drummer endorsed by Vic Firth.
As with the first season of VFJams LIVE!, Robert Sput Searight (Ghost-Note, Snarky Puppy) serves as the musical director for each of the featured performances, filmed at the iconic Studio 1 at EastWest Studios in Hollywood, CA.
As Sput (Ghost-Note, Snarky Puppy) tells Live For Live Music, “They hire me to put a big band together and write, compose and arrange the music for selected endorsed drum artists with the company… I specifically cater the songs around the styles of each individual artists selected and try to showcase more skills other than their soloing abilities.”
For this year’s season, Sput brought together an incredible lineup of musicians to round out the VFJams All Star Band including bassist Cody Wright (Eric Gales, Ghost-Note), guitarist Samir Moulay, guitarist Mark Lettieri (Snarky Puppy, The Fearless Flyers), keyboardist Quitin Gulledge, keyboardist Nicholas Semrad (Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles), saxophonist/flautist Ben Burget, trumpeter Brandon Phillips, trombonist Chris Johnson, and vocalists Ruben Lael, Elise Testone, and Amanda Maxfield.
This week, VFJams shared the first video from season 2: a fiery jam that showcases Alvin Ford Jr., drummer for acts like Dumpstaphunk, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Pretty Lights Live Band, and more. For Alvin Ford Jr.’s VFJams Live session, Robert Sput Searight wrote and arranged a jazz-fusion composition entitled “Stick’n and Groov’n”, and it’s nothing short of incredible.
Check out the first episode of season 2 of VFJams LIVE! below:
VFJams LIVE! w/ Alvin Ford – “Stick’n and Groov’n”
[Video: Vic Firth]
You can view the full season 2 VFJams LIVE! release schedule below. While you wait for the next one, you can check out all the sessions from VFJams LIVE! season 1 here.
If you’re heading down to New Orleans during this year’s Jazz Fest, don’t miss Alvin Ford Jr. and Robert Sput Searight in a number of exciting late-night performances.
Jazz Fest 2019 After Dark: L4LM Top Picks
On Sunday, April 28th at 2 a.m. (technically early-morning April 29th), Alvin Ford Jr. will join members of Dumpstaphunk and Lettuce for a special Lett Us In The Dumpsta performance at The Maison. Tickets are available here.
On Wednesday, May 1st, Robert Sput Searight will hold dow the drum duties with the Daze Between Band at One Eyed Jacks featuring Eric Krasno, Nigel Hall, MonoNeon, Ryan Zoidis, Jen Hartswick, Weedie Braimah, and more. Tickets are available here.
On Saturday, May 4th, both Robert Sput Searight and Alvin Ford Jr. will take part in Ghost-Note’s one-time-only Swagism LIVE performance at One Eyed Jacks, where Ghost-Note will perform their acclaimed 2018 LP, Swagism, in its entirety featuring special guests from the album. Tickets are available here.
Check out a full list of Live For Live Music‘s various night shows during Jazz Fest below. For more information, or to grab your tickets today before they’re all gone, head here.
