ONOFFON

[onoffon]

ONOFFON's SSP of the Day is an interesting view of our diversity of sound -The Duke at SpinMe.comONOFFONYour Mind"Onoffon are a jazz trio hailing from LA. Given the depth of styles they pine on their second disc, Your Mind, and the instrumentations that the three of them use, you'd be hard pressed to remember that they're a trio. One moment, they're an intense jazz band. "Mardi Gras" fills the air with guest Glen Garrett's soprano sax squeals while the band's rhythm section of Von Babasin and Dave Goode keep it grooving in an intense fashion. The next moment, they're a hippie fusion band playing tracks like "Alley Want" and the title track like they're primed to have their audience do that hippie noodle dance. The next moment, they are crooning away on "Bebe's Song" like they were stuck in a 30s time warp and then, mere moments after, they sound downright new age on "Opus". I personally wish they would stick to the jazzier stuff and stay away from the hippie rock. On the same token, the stylish diversity in which this band has to offer the listener and expand the definitions of jazz is more important than whether or not I like one style more than another."I love it when a criticism turns into the ultimate compliment - thanks to The Duke for appreciating what we are trying to do in stretching the limits of what's expected from a single group of musicians...

[mirale]

well I told you I liked your music on another thread (maybe not here on taxi?...elsewhere ....I don't remember.....here is my web site if you wanna take a lookhttp://www.cjm.clan.stbest wishescris

[onoffon]

Quote:well I told you I liked your music on another threadbest wishescris Yes cris - you left a post on our review thread here - you said -Quote:good various tunesI particularly appreciate the guitar worksbestcrisI thanked you for your comment but you didn't leave a link to your music there.I would say the same of your music. I listened to your Mp3.com.au drum works and the first two songs at BeSonic. You are right - Stephan is a wonderful guitarist - a lot of energy and a great tone. Your drumming is very good also.Thanks again and good luck,Von

[onoffon]

Now - for today's ONOFFON SSP - we'll go back to the Incredibly Small Concert Hall for their take on Your Mind - this time, from reviewer Diane Jessurun -The Incredibly Small Concert HallONOFFON - Your Mindreviewed by Diane Jessurun"A band from Southern California has released their second CD entitled "Your Mind". A CD filled with a wide variety of styles including Jazz, Bluegrass, Alternative Rock, and some Contemporary sounds. This is a group of musicians that have a distinct way of channeling their style into magnificent musical pieces that showcase their musical talents. There are 11 Songs on "Your Mind" each of which share intense diversity and soul. The group has some widely talented musicians including Don Lake, Dave Goode, Von Babasin, Carole Couture-Olivieri, Stacey Baltes, and Glen Garrett. The first track "Your Mind" reminded me of the Brian Setzer Orchestra with it's cool groove and vocals. I also really enjoyed track 6 entitled "Bebe's Song". Listening to it I could almost see Frank Sinatra on stage singing his interpretation of it swaying from side to side as he sang "Everyone's telling me they think you're crazy for lovin' a guy like me". There are three instrumental tracks on the CD, actually four if you count the truly unique "Credits" song in which Don, Von, and Dave speak the whole credits section printed on the inside of their CD jacket. The three instrumental's "Shadowglass", "Mardi Gras", and "Opus" are truly unique and are played with a wonderful feel. The songwriting talent makes the band. I give them Four Stars for musicianship and an Excellent rating for CD mastering and awesome artwork. They also have been given excellent reviews by other web sites, all of which are posted on their web site. Check it out!"I especially like the fact that many reviewers took the time to also appreciate the artwork we create for our CDs. It is an intrical part of the overall artistic expression of ONOFFON. It is very fulfilling to me when someone notices - I thank Diane for her recognition and kind words...

[mirale]

thanks Von ...you're a cool guy and good musician too...so I DO appreciate your comments!!!!best to you and yourscris here is one song for you:http://www.soundclick.com/pro/default.c ... gID=107156

[onoffon]

Quote:thanks Von ...you're a cool guy and good musician too...so I DO appreciate your comments!!!!best to you and yourscris here is one song for you:http://www.soundclick.com/pro/default.c ... gID=107156 CRIS!!!!! You are a total freak - and I mean that in the most complimentary way!!! That song brought a smile to my face and is just what you said at the bottom of the page - about this song - fun!Cheers to you!

[mirale]

AAARRRGGGHHHTTT!!! (my rallying scream)thanx once moreyou know I'm a crazy/full-fool/mad frenchy...lol!!!bestcris

[onoffon]

Well - today's ONOFFON SSP will be two for the price of one. Ben Ohmart, who now writes for the Music Dish, reviewed these CDs and has them posted over in their archives -The Music Dishhttp://musicdish.com/mag/index.php3?id=778 ONOFFON - Surrender Nowreviewed by Ben Ohmart"I've been listening to this bluesy jazz album a couple times before looking in the CD booklet, and I'm surprised to see that this band only has a few performers. They make the most out of a few people. Don Lake is most to blame, being the voice and guitar. First song is the title song, with a Yes sort of influence. 'Surrender now / your myth of freedom / see clear vision / walk with wisdom'. Almost 70 minutes of not too hard, not too soft progressive or jazz mood, whichever you want to name it, comprised of guitar, bass and drums, with the odd sax, female backing vocal, etc. Nice long songs that give you vast instrumental sections and allow you to get a firm footing in the songs. Take it on a long trip and knock some miles off."ONOFFON - Your Mindhttp://musicdish.com/mag/index.php3?id=986"A jazz group with some funky sideburns across the riff. "Shadowglass" is a clean instrumental, fresh with flute, bass/guitar plucking notes right along side each other, more of a mood than a song, but like walking through a field of wet flowers on a deserted autumn night. "Mardi Gras'" irregular beat and Spanish-like guitar pave the way for the starring sax, and it's kindly jazz that shines down and asks if everything's all right. It is."Thanks to Mr. Ohmart for his ethereal musical observations...

[onoffon]

ONOFFON's SSP of the day is brought to you by the kind people at Aural Innovations.ONOFFON - Surrender Nowhttp://aural-innovations.com/progrock/onoffon.htmlreviewed by Jerry Kranitz"From California, Onoffon is a difficult to define jazz, pop, blues, progressive trio consisting of Don Lake on guitar, vocals, and harmonica, Von Babasin on bass, and Dave Goode on drums. Much of the music is jazz influenced pop rock, but the blandness that such a description implies is not the case with Onoffon. The musicianship is topnotch, the playing tight, and the music is embellished by creative instrumental passages. Songs like "Surrender Now" and "Rock Garden" feature Don Lake's soulful vocals and bluesy harmonica and are characteristic of this side of Onoffon. The band displays a harder rocking edge on other tracks. "Your Reality" is like Cream meets the Red Hot Chile Peppers and features some spacey guitar from Lake. "I Don't Give No" also has that Chile Peppers feel but is much funkier and oddly metered. Great percussion competes with the guitar for center stage giving the tune a welcome intensity. Other tunes, however, feature a more adventurous side of the band. My favorite track on the disc is "Weekend In Montreal", which after the first few songs took me completely by surprise. With Glen Garrett guesting on tenor sax the band strays into more off the wall jazz and avant rock territory. This wonderfully schizophrenic tune shifts abruptly between manic and melodic playing. This was probably my favorite track and left me aching for more sax on subsequent tracks. "The Gift Must Always Move" has a great acoustic/electric guitar combination and great rhythms that bring this song well beyond the "light jazz" impression only a cursory listen might leave. About half way through the song the band begins to rock out and Lakes guitar takes on a subtle spacey quality. My other favorite track is "Remember Only". About half of the song's twelve minutes is an orchestral spacey piece that between the guitar and percussion has a Middle Eastern feel to it. Vocals are eventually introduced and the whole thing has a laid back feel. In summary, Onoffon has a variety of influences that make them of interest to prog rockers. The lighter tunes may put off some proggers, but I would encourage attentive listening as the band's inventive instrumental passages will reveal themselves. Personally I'd love to hear more tunes like "Weekend In Montreal". These guys can really cook."Sincere thanks to Mr. Kranitz for his thoughts on our debut CD...

[onoffon]

Todays ONOFFON SSP is short but sweet and has one of my favorite compliments from all of our reviews -AMP3.com ReviewsONOFFON - Selected tracksreviewed by Doug Cornell"Which brings us to Onoffon. While not as obscure sounding as King Crimson, Onoffon nonetheless creates jazz-influenced rock that is recorded with extreme care. Mostly a guitar/bass/drums/vocals outfit, Onoffon also adds harmonica, keyboards, sax, and flute to their thick, complex sound. The songs are certainly jazzy, but won't alienate the more casual rock fan, as the instrumental virtuosity kept me engaged even as I was scratching my head in wonderment."I have to say - "the instrumental virtuosity kept me engaged even as I was scratching my head in wonderment" - has to be one of the most complimentary phrases we've ever received. Thanks Doug Cornell for a most interesting view of our music...