Rokú Rides Waves

Published February 19, 2008

By Peter Casasa-Blouin

I tend to like control over my music but I will listen to the radio if the listening is choice. Valentine’s eve was one such occasion that I did not mind dead air and commercials because a local band was playing live on the University Radio station and absolutely killing it.

The name of the band is Rokú and you should know them (UVM’s not so big plus they have a myspace page, myspace.com/rokumusic) Although their personage has shifted, as college bands do over the years, they still bring a certain funk that never leaves with band members but can only be compounded.

During an interview that night a member said that although they are primarily a jazz ensemble, as they have evolved they’ve allowed their varied musical backgrounds to mesh. Especially prevalent and audible is the influence of rock on this group that I had known mostly for its cool soothing jams.

Live performances enable a group to feed off of the crowd which is why I was so pleased to hear a patient and concise performance on the waves. They didn’t know it but I was jamming out. Actually, being that the next day was V-day, I lamented that I was listening to such classy music sans petite amie.

But the diversity within each track and transitions from one to another comforted me. Although I couldn’t appreciate the aesthetic value of brass and strings coming together in front of big drums, my ear was able to appreciate the isolations of individual players.

They played mostly old stuff that came from their debut album “Beyond Empty Space,” however, the incorporation of new musicians made it fresh. It was hard for me to believe that this new “incarnation” of Rokú had only been together for a month. Besides individual talent the Rokú collective has been very productive, and it shows. After playing on the radio for over two hours, they played downtown at Parima that Friday only to await a gig at Higher Ground the following Friday. Their style seems to fit every forum — I even remember seeing them at a freshman orientation.

During the mid-set interview they said that they do not know what the future holds for the group, with graduation quickly approaching, but they are going to remain ambitious during their time together. Among future projects they eluded to performing at the Jazz Fest which would at least give them an international edge.

Rokú provides its fans with plenty of opportunities to see and hear them. I encourage those of you who missed the radio show to see the real thing before it’s too late. You might have never known that jazz could be your jam.

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