A Festive Celebration with Eric Krasno Band

via Brooklyn Bowl

I wonder if anyone has the complete count of all the times Eric Krasno’s been on the Brooklyn Bowl stage — even a ballpark number would probably be an underestimation. So closely linked is Kraz with the Bowl’s now seven-year history that having him headline its anniversary party is almost a foregone conclusion. And to be part of these packed festivities — decorations, balloon drop and all — was to celebrate not only the venue, but also a new chapter for Krasno: a groovy-as-hell new band that draws on many of the sounds and styles for which he’s celebrated and places them in a new context.

Krasno is a world-class guitarist and a respectable singer, and the Eric Krasno Band celebrates both with ample helpings of blues, soul, R&B, and jazz fusion. Overall, the sounds from his debut album, Blood from a Stone, aren’t far afield from Soulive, Lettuce or any of his many other associations, but they sound of a piece with one another. Krasno doesn’t need to reject what’s core to his more famous bands to carve out an identity here — the consistency of the music and the choice in co-conspirators do that superbly. And while it’s clear whose band it is, he’s just as happy to lean back into his ensemble, playing off guitar foil Danny Mayer, riding a hot, malleable pocket from bassist Alex Chakour and drummer Eric Kalb, harmonizing and doing some good-natured egging with singer Mary Corso, or turning whole sections of jam space over to DeShawn Alexander, who had an especially strong night.

I wonder if anyone has the complete count of all the times Eric Krasno’s been on the Brooklyn Bowl stage — even a ballpark number would probably be an underestimation. So closely linked is Kraz with the Bowl’s now seven-year history that having him headline its anniversary party is almost a foregone conclusion. And to be part of these packed festivities — decorations, balloon drop and all — was to celebrate not only the venue, but also a new chapter for Krasno: a groovy-as-hell new band that draws on many of the sounds and styles for which he’s celebrated and places them in a new context.

Krasno is a world-class guitarist and a respectable singer, and the Eric Krasno Band celebrates both with ample helpings of blues, soul, R&B, and jazz fusion. Overall, the sounds from his debut album, Blood from a Stone, aren’t far afield from Soulive, Lettuce or any of his many other associations, but they sound of a piece with one another. Krasno doesn’t need to reject what’s core to his more famous bands to carve out an identity here — the consistency of the music and the choice in co-conspirators do that superbly. And while it’s clear whose band it is, he’s just as happy to lean back into his ensemble, playing off guitar foil Danny Mayer, riding a hot, malleable pocket from bassist Alex Chakour and drummer Eric Kalb, harmonizing and doing some good-natured egging with singer Mary Corso, or turning whole sections of jam space over to DeShawn Alexander, who had an especially strong night.

The Blood material fleshed out most of the two-hour headlining set: world-weary soul in “Jezebel” and “Torture,” Allman Brothers–esque jazz-rock in “Curse Lifter” (which on the album, Krasno noted, features Derek Trucks), roiling R&B and steamy soul in “On the Rise.” You could hear many of Krasno’s influences as well as some of the more recent sonic palettes he’s been painting with, from Hendrix to George Benson, Led Zeppelin to the Grateful Dead. And there was marvelous interplay with some inevitable special guests: old pal Nigel Hall on “Unconditional Love,” always-welcome phenom Brandon “Taz” Niederauer up for Hendrix’s “Manic Depression,” and Marcus King — who’d played a furiously soulful set with his own band to open the night — laying waste to “Sweet Little Angel” and an exchange of guitar conversation that both sparked and smoldered. Hot night in the city and hotter night inside the Bowl, the way a summer party should be.  —Chad Berndtson | @Cberndtson

Elmore Magazine Review

For nearly two decades, Eric Krasno has made his bones as a musician, songwriter and producer across the rock, soul and jazz spectrum. His latest solo release, Blood From A Stone, is fittingly diverse, featuring ten original compositions that touch all the bases.

Krasno is a highly regarded collaborator, having played with and/or produced for Derek Trucks, Dave Matthews, Justin Timberlake, 50Cent, Aaron Neville and Norah Jones. His own bands —Soulive and Lettuce—are a jazz trio and a multi-piece funk powerhouse. He’s also a familiar face on the jam-band scene, having appeared with the Allman Brothers during their Beacon runs and with Tedeschi Trucks and Phil Lesh and Friends. The only thing Krasno has never been known for is his vocals, but all that has now changed.

Working with long-time writing partner Dave Gutter, the pair composed several highly personal songs that helped Krasno find his voice. “Waiting on Your Love,” the album’s opening track, is Steve Miller on steroids, an accessible tune with a mighty riff and a driving beat. Krasno can hold his own with today’s top guitarists, but Blood from a Stone features tight constructions sans extended soloing. “Torture,” “Jezebel” and “Natalie” all clock in under four minutes each and demonstrate different facets of Krasno’s guitar work and vocals. He cites Hendrix, the Stones and Zeppelin as influences, along with the Dead, Marley and Coltrane. There are threads of all of them here as Krasno shifts among styles, sometimes within the same song.

Co-writer Gutter contributes background vocals on several cuts, and the album, recorded mostly in Maine, features friends who dropped in to add a lick on keyboards or horns. For extra firepower, Derek Trucks joins Krasno on “Curse Lifter,” the album’s only instrumental track. The dual-guitar lines are reminiscent of Elizabeth Reed, highlighting both players’ considerable chops.

Krasno is a fixture on the New York music scene, a Brooklyn hipster before the term took on a tone of irony. Soulive frequently performs at the Brooklyn Bowl for multi-night residencies with unannounced guests that have included Luther Dickinson, Robert Randolph, John Scofield, Susan Tedeschi, Joe Russo and other top-tier musicians. Krasno will be appearing there on July 7th to celebrate the release of Blood from a Stone. The CD is a solid effort that expands his credentials, but Krasno’s live performances have traditionally been the better showcase for his talents. Be sure to check him out if you get the chance.

-Lou Montesano, Elmore Magazine

Fuse CD Review: Eric Krasno Steps Out as a Leader in “Blood From a Stone”

By Scott McLennan, The Arts Fuse

Eric Krasno’s influence on modern funk and soul cannot be overstated. He’s brought vision, inspiration, and fierce guitar chops to the bands Soulive and Lettuce. He’s written and produced songs for numerous artists in the orbit of new-school classicism. And Krasno has proven that he is capable of stretching out in different directions; he’s both answered the call to sub as the bass player for Tedeschi Trucks Band when it needed one for a tour, and produced tracks for contemporary hip-hop artists 50 Cent and Talib Kweli.

What Krasno has not done until now is step up as a bona fide band leader.

The new Blood From a Stone nicely covers that base.

On his debut solo record, Krasno sings nine of the album’s 10 tracks, moving to the forefront in a way that we haven’t seen during his 20 years of being one of the dudes in the band or the genius behind the boards.

Blood From A Stone is being released today and Krasno will feature material from the new album when he plays July 14 at the Brighton Music Hall in Boston.

Krasno’s vocal style is similar to his guitar playing in terms of putting a premium on mood and atmosphere. And, as he has displayed through his guitar prowess, Krasno is quite capable of shifting, grooving, moving, and warping those moods and atmospheres across the course of a project.

The album kicks off with “Waiting on Your Love,” which could have fit into a Soulive set of simmering organ-driven jazz instrumental jams, that is until Krasno lets loose with some laid back vocals, here shrouded in thick bass grooves and blasts of keys.

It’s a cool and inviting start, a successful invitation to check the remainder of the 45-minute ride.

Krasno moves into a harder blues sound with “Torture” and follows that with a sleeker R&B number “Jezebel,” which also affirms his guitar-god status with a spectral solo wrapping up the tune.

The one-two punch of “Unconditional Love” and “Please Ya” are ample evidence that Krasno has enough of his own gas in the tank to take on an independent project, one that lets him air out ideas distinctly separate from his work with the other bands.

“Unconditional Love” is a lovely bit of soul-pop with melodic nods to George Harrison’s early solo work and pumped up with a team of harmony singers and layers of keys; don’t worry, it’s all lyrical blossom with no clutter.

“Please Ya” looks back even further to classic ’60s soul. What Krasno lacks in technical abilities as a vocalist he ably compensates for with a convincing emotional delivery. Here, Krasno creates sparks by deftly teasing out the pleading and lamenting in the tune’s lyrics, punctuating the yearning with his adroit guitar work.

Guest appearances are highlighted in the album’s second half. First, guitarist Derek Trucks and Krasno get into a fine tangle on the instrumental “Curse Lifter,” which marries Allman-esque ascending riffs to percolating rhythm tracks.

Powerhouse vocalist Alecia Chakour, who sings on the latest Lettuce album, is featured on “Wicked This way,” powerfully evoking the song’s lush, deep blue tone.

Krasno lightens the mood for the finale, taking a gospel style approach to the swaying groove of “When the Day Comes.”

A worthy addition to an already impressive body of work, Blood From a Stone proves that the chameleonic Krasno, after two decades, continues to develop as an artist.

Blood From A Stone Out Now

Eric Krasno has officially released his second solo album, Blood From A Stone, via his own label, Feel Music / Round Hill. The record, which features appearances by Derek Trucks, as well as members of Soulive, Lettuce and The London Souls, reveals a previously unknown and utterly compelling side of Krasno's artistry, as he both literally and metaphorically finds his voice.

Eric Krasno Takes His Music In New Directions On 'Blood From A Stone' [Live For Live Music Review]

Grammy-award winning guitarist Eric Krasno (Soulive/Lettuce) has unveiled a tremendous solo offering in Blood From a Stone, a significant departure from the sound that fans have come to know over his nearly two decades making music. Released on his own Feel Music Group imprint, the new record finds Krasno exploring various blends of pop-song craftsmanship dipped in bluesy psychedelia, thundering drums, and an analog vibe that courses through its vintage veins. Most surprisingly, it is not Krasno's legendary guitar prowess that takes center stage, but instead his voice; Krasno sings lead on nearly every song on the record, and the results are downright staggering. 

As one-third of NYC jazz-hop legends Soulive, a founding member of funk behemoth Lettuce, an in-demand studio producer (Krasno has produced records for everyone from Aaron Neville to The London Souls to Nigel Hall), celebrated hip-hop producer (Fyre Dept. with Adam Deitch), and also logging time as touring bassist with Tedeschi Trucks Band, the soft-spoken guitarist has been in the game for what seems like forever. More recently, he has become a sought-after writer for a diverse and eclectic group of recording artists. After holing up in Portland, Maine with Dave Gutter (Rustic Overtones) for a long songwriting session, Kraz found himself penning material he soon imagined sung in his own voice. 

"I've been writing songs with vocals for other people for a while. With these songs, we initially wrote them thinking others would sing them, so when I was in the studio with different artists, sometimes I'd introduce one of the tracks and they'd record it, but it wouldn't necessarily work out. Eventually, I realized it was because I'd written these songs for myself," said Krasno. 

Ryan Zoidis (Lettuce's Shady Horns, and also a member of Rustic Overtones) configured a minimalist assortment of vintage gear and set up a barn studio space, while Gutter and Krasno hammered out the material. Within a short time, a story arc of love, loss and redemption was developed, as both men were picking up the pieces at the end of relationships. The duo began to shape the vision and sound of the forthcoming album, a tight and calculated assortment of pop songs rich in lyric, melody, with sugary choruses and a strong emotional quotient. The sessions were initially intended to be demos, though it became apparent early on that this session was destined for Blood From a Stone. 

Krasno: "The recording process was fun because we really thought we were just doing writing sessions. There was no pressure. We set up a studio where the Rustic Overtones [Gutter and Ryan Zoidis’ former band] are based up in Maine and brought in a bunch of gear. I contributed some guitars, amps and mics, while Ryan pieced together a tape machine and basically built a studio for this session. Chris St. Hilaire and Stu Mahan from The London Souls came up and helped out putting down the initial tracks. It was great because we were writing the songs and recording at the same time. The band would be putting down parts, while Dave was writing a bridge in the other room. It was like we were in a little song factory for those few days. We came out of that sessions with maybe a dozen songs and the tracks sounded killer. I have to say that Ryan Zoidis and Jon Roods, also in Rustic Overtones, did a great job recording everything. We used minimal gear, but it was done right and that is mostly what you hear on the record." 

It's plain to hear from the opener (and first single) "Waiting On Your Love" that Kraz is serious about this singing business. Where he has been hiding this mojo is beyond me, as his confident swagger is light years beyond the rare glimpses of vocals we have heard from him over the years. Much like his emotive guitar playing, Krasno's voice is a classy instrument wealthy in tone and conviction. The big and greasy first salvo harkens back to the colors and textures found on Lenny Kravitz's masterful Circus, a record that itself marries the contemporary and vintage with style and grace. Throw in a tidbit of late-70's fuzz-box guitar-rock, a smidgen of Tame Impala, and a healthy pour of the bluesman's burden, and you have Blood From A Stone's sonic DNA. 

“It’s Kind of a Journey”: A Fairfield Mirror Conversation with Eric Krasno

via The Fairfield Mirror

For Grammy award winning musician and producer Eric Krasno, vocals have never been the forte of his musical brilliance. With over 20 years invested in the art, Krasno has finally taken the microphone and broken new ground with his newest solo record, “Blood From A Stone.”

“I had never learned or taken a lesson or done any official singing,” said Krasno. “I have done it for fun and written a ton of songs but I had never been a lead singer in a band.”

In preparation for this new feat, Krasno enlisted the help of the Rustic Overtones’ Dave Gutter for a storytelling arc that managed to balance the darker and lighter fringes of musicianship. “I had kind of had been putting concepts together and I kind of had an idea of what the record would be but when he [Gutter] and I got together, is where that concept took shape.”

“It’s kind of a journey,” added Krasno.

Each lyrical composition is complimented with R&B-influenced hooks and melodies that emphasize the bluesy upbringing of Krasno. “Jezebel” and “Please Ya” evoke passion through the means of lost love and desperation while “Unconditional Love” and “Natalie” harken a past that fills Krasno with the soul to provide his music with a tenacious backbone.

Krasno even enlisted the help of Tedeschi Trucks Band guitar virtuoso Derek Trucks on “Curse Lifter,” which dances with the spirit of blues as Trucks blisters his way through the tune. Blues seems to be a recurring theme for Krasno in “Blood From A Stone” as he attempts to bring his prime musician influence back to the forefront.

“I always came up listening to psychedelic blues rock and all that stuff and it always kind of seeped into my other projects,” said Krasno. “But with this album, I really wanted to show those roots.”

This exploration of roots led Krasno heading down to New Orleans with his crew and a couple of drones to film the music video for “Waiting on Your Love,” which blends the scenic atmosphere of the rustic Big Easy with psychedelic tinges that play with the visual senses of the viewer.

“It was a cool exploration in taking color and matching it to music while getting super psychedelic all the while” said Krasno.

This journey will be taken on the road in the Northeast until July 15 to showcase Krasno’s newest effort while blending in a variety of material that spans his whole career. Krasno chose the Northeast because of his roots in New England, born in Connecticut and residing in New York City.

“There’s a lot of different places to play and musicians that are close enough and like in one weekend, you can play Vermont, Boston, Albany, Connecticut and New York City,” said Krasno about playing in the Northeast. “You can get around easy as a touring musician whereas the West Coast, you got to make huge, huge drives to make it city to city.”

After the summer sun fades away and his touring ventures with both his solo band and Soulive come to a close, Krasno will head back into the studio to resume producing records for various artists such as Son Little, The Motet and Allen Stone, a career that has earned him two Grammy wins. Krasno has previously produced records for prominent musicians such as Dave Matthews Band, Norah Jones and even Justin Timberlake.

“Well, I now start to plan out my time so that in the winter, I can try to go somewhere warm to produce a record and during the summer, I like to tour because it’s the festival season and all of that going on,” said Krasno.

Krasno also plans to pursue a new Soulive album, which is aimed to release some time in 2017.

This sort of chaotic balancing act has been a focus for Krasno as he attempts to establish himself and budding musicians in order to preserve the legacy of music that has been left to him. Krasno even toys with the notion of getting into music education.

“I go through different waves of excitement. Right now, I’m really excited about music. There are a lot of new artists that I really love,” said Krasno. “The hard part is navigating to find the good stuff.”

Eric Krasno Finds His Voice On Solo Debut (Highway 81 Revisited)

via Highway 81 Revisited

Two-time Grammy winner Eric Krasno still considers himself fortunate for his ability to play guitar a quarter century after he shattered his left elbow in a fall during a basketball game his freshman year of high school.

The mishap in his Connecticut hometown was an awakening, a musical turning point that makes the co-founder of jazz-funk bands Soulive and Lettuce, who has toured with Tedeschi Trucks Band — as a  bassist, no less —  grateful to this day to be doing what he’s doing.

“I rolled over this guy’s back. I was going in for a full-court lay-up, running all the way down the court,” recalled Krasno, 39, whose introduction to guitar was on bass, in his older brother’s high school garage band.

Right-handed, Krasno, based in Brooklyn since 1999, relies on his left hand to be his fretboard operator.

“The guy went underneath me,” continued Krasno, who took up the violin around the age of 4.

“When I went down, I crushed my elbow. My humerus was stuck out of my skin. It basically crushed my elbow. They weren’t sure if I’d ever use my hand or arm.

“I couldn’t move my fingers. I forced myself to play guitar, slowly but surely. My theory was it dramatically helped my movement. I forced my fingers to move. I definitely have full motion now. I definitely still have pain from it. I realized, the thought of not playing guitar … I dreaded it. So, I got more serious about it. If there was a possibility of not doing it, I’d be distraught. ”

Krasno, a prolific songwriter and record producer who has worked in the production of albums for Norah Jones, Tedeschi Trucks, 50 Cent and Aaron Neville, has  played it safe on the basketball court ever since.

He laughingly recalled enforcing a “no-contact” rule during pickup games with musician friends back in college — first, at the Berklee College of Music and, then, at Hampshire College in Massachusetts.

Musically, the improvisational guitarist whose performances have been historically instrumental, hasn’t exactly taken the same conservative path.

Except, that is, for when it comes to his voice.

He’s literally always kept his voice in the background, lending backing vocals for artists he’s worked with, such as Tedeschi and Trucks.

For the first time in his career, Krasno has stepped to the microphone in the role of vocal frontman for his own Eric Krasno Band.

His r&b-based solo album, “Blood from a Stone,” is due to be released this week, coinciding with a tour with his solo project’s touring six-piece band.

The band played Saturday at Boulder, Colorado’s Fox Theatre, performing with Dumpstaphunk. The tour returns to the east coast for a July 7 record release show at Brooklyn Bowl — Krasno’s home court. That’s where Krasno is the de facto house musician and where Soulive has hosted its annual “Bowlive,” a two-week, 10-night residency that welcomes a changing list of big-name collaborators.

Krasno also has dates for Soulive, which once opened for the Rolling Stones, penciled in for Sept. 14-15 at the Amphitheater at Coney Island during which the band will sit in for a two-night run with Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh and an all-star Phil Lesh & Friends lineup that will include saxophonist Karl Denson, keyboardist-violinist Jason Crosby and singer-songwriter Jackie Greene.

“I love it. He’s such a creative person,” Krasno said of performing with Lesh. “There’s nobody that sounds like him. He wants to stretch out the music. I’ve known Jackie for a long time. I’ve played a lot with Jason Crosby.”

During a recent interview with Highway 81 Revisited, Krasno spoke of no immediate commitments for Lettuce tour dates.

“We definitely have plans to do as much as possible. We’ll be out there for a while” he said of the solo band, which will tour the south in October.

“I got to the point where I wanted to do my own thing,” Krasno explained of his lead vocal evolution. “You work with a lot of people. I’ve been out on the road doing instrumental music. I wanted to eventually combine this together (with vocals). I wanted to get out in front and perform.

“I also started working with (writing partner) Dave Gutter (of Maine-based, rock-jazz-funk band Rustic Overtones), and we started writing a lot of songs together. He definitely pushed me to be a lead singer. He said, ‘Man, you sound good singing these songs.’

“I was kind of figuring out my vocal technique as it was happening. A lot of it was experimental. I like how it came out. It’s been an interesting journey. It’s a great experience to just play around.”

Krasno’s vocals on “Blood from a Stone” exude a certain Jimi Hendrix/Lenny Kravitz-like flavor, which makes sense  considering Krasno grew up listening to an eclectic mix of Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Grateful Dead and hip-hop acts like the Beastie Boys.

“Some of the initial ideas that would eventually wind up on the album were written thinking others would sing them,” Krasno said of his writing sessions with collaborator Gutter. “But when they were introduced to different artists, it wouldn’t necessarily work out. Eventually, I realized some of the songs we’d been writing were more personal and would be better suited for me to sing.”

Long-time friend Derek Trucks and his wife Susan Tedeschi turned to Krasno back in 2013 to become the bassist for their Tedeschi Trucks Band after the departure from the band of Oteil Burbridge, former bassist of the Allman Brothers and current bass man of Dead & Company.

Krasno, who has  his own recording label — Feel Music Group — and Trucks had known each other for decades  — since Soulive opened during its first national tour with the Derek Trucks Band back in the 1990s.

Bass being the instrument Krasno played in a band, it seemed natural to jump aboard.

“He’s one of my favorite current guitar players for sure,” Krasno said of Trucks. “I did some songwriting for the first two (Tedeschi Trucks) albums.

“On tour, I realized how insane their schedule was. I was a placeholder while they found a permanent replacement. I needed a lot of things I had to get to.”

Tedeschi Trucks eventually hired Tim Lefebvre, the last bassist to record with David Bowie, to be their permanent bass player.

But Krasno and Trucks continue to collaborate.

Trucks makes a guest appearance on Krasno’s solo album for the track “Curse Lifter,” an instrumental described as an Allman Brothers-Santana crossover.

“People like to work with Kraz because he brings a lot to the table,” Trucks told the Wall Street Journal last year. “He’s a really good, deep listener, and he hears music both rhythmically and harmonically and as both a producer and a musician. There are not many people who can check all those boxes.”