AUG. 18th 2009 - INTERNATIONAL

Will Calhoun and Living Colour set to release new album and launch Inter-continental Tour

Will Calhoun is set to take his Saturn back out on the road with Living Colour

The new release from Living Colour

Living Colour (clockwise from left) Will Calhoun, Corey Glover, Vernon Reid, Doug Wimbish. Photo by Bill Bernstein.

On September 15th, Living Colour will release The Chair in the Doorway, the band's first studio album in five years. Mapex artist Will Calhoun once again brings his unmistakable style and versatility to the album, as does bassist Doug Wimbish, guitarist Vernon Reid and lead vocalist Corey Glover. Recorded at Sono Studios outside of Prague in the Czech Republic, The Chair in the Doorway promises to break new ground for the band, while maintaining the distinctive sound that has brought the group wide acclaim since their 1983 debut.

With the assistance of lyricist Mark Stewart and Ron St. Germain, (who produced and mixed Times Up and Stain), Living Colour delivers a focused album that will satisfy long-time fans, but also exhibits signs of each member’s personal musical progress and expansion. “The tunes are all composed by the band,” said Calhoun. “However each member provides fantastic personal influences to create a unique blend of sound and composition. Ron’s mix made for a nice edge/crunch to the tracks.”

“Fans can expect the new album to rock,” says Calhoun, flashing his signature grin, “Corey is singing his ass off and the band sounds great… There are a few interesting sonic nuggets. The vibe of this CD is cohesive… I would call it a hamburger, no cheese, salad, or ketchup…”

The band’s chemistry remains solid, as they’re friends both on and off stage and individual solo-projects keep them musically acclimatized and fully prepared to perform the band’s demanding, high-energy live set over the course of a long tour. Calhoun admits that being in a working band requires discipline, self-sacrifice, focus, patience and massive amounts of “Will-Power.”

Calhoun used his double-bass Saturn setup for the studio sessions, using the 14x5.5 Saturn snare for a third of the recording and an assortment of Black Panther snares for the remainder including the Hammered Bronze, Brass, Custom Egyptian finish Stainless Steel snare, 13x7 Walnut, 13-inch maple, 14x5.5 Maple, and the amazing Limited Edition Thick Flamed Maple snare.

“I like to have a wider range for grooves,” says Calhoun. “Listen to the track, "Method," on the new CD and you will hear a Rock-N-Roll/Hip-Hop beat played with both bass drums. It's basically a Bronx, Afro-Zepplin approach to the music.”

The band will stay busy touring from September through most of 2010 in support of The Chair in the Doorway, starting in North and South America, then on to Europe. Thanks to previous experience, Calhoun understands that eating a healthy diet with foods and fluids that boost his energy prepare him for the brutality of touring. He also takes advantage of all the rehearsal time he can get. “Guitar and bass players always have access to their instruments... on the bus and in the hotel,” he notes. “When it's time for load in, I usually travel with the crew, so I can spend 1-2 hours playing before the band arrives. It is fantastic and relaxing.”

A self proclaimed Culture Ninja, he takes in as much local flavor as possible, through visiting museums and capturing his experiences with photography. Although sleep is an important aspect to touring, Calhoun admits to enjoying the night life. “At night after the shows, I’m looking for Jazz/Blues/Funk clubs to go and sit in with some killing local musicians.”

This wide range of musical and cultural exposure has fueled Calhoun throughout his career. He has used much of his travel time to research drumming, most frequently these adventures lead him to Africa, where the concept of drumming began, to learn grooves, indigenous patterns and more. Calhoun engages himself in many genres of playing to challenge his chops so they aren’t only conditioned to the tour show. “I like to sit in with local Jazz musicians because that music requires a different set of chops, technique, dynamics/music interpretation,” says Calhoun. “Keeping myself musically in shape is important, not just in shape to perform a great Living Colour show. When I’m in great musical shape, I can play Living Colour's show with less effort and more creativity.”

Using drum solo sections to push himself into other musical atmospheres is one way that Calhoun puts his research into practice, especially during live performances. “I sonically treat my Rock, Funk, Jazz, and electronic beats with my research, whether I’m programming drums or playing live,” he explains. “I have more freedom to experiment with rhythm and time signatures in my solo projects. Living Colour is a more defined unit, therefore I season the rock grooves with some international rhythmic flavors. I like to keep the grooves solid, with a bit improvisation/free groove feel.“

Visit Will Calhoun’s website and www.myspace.com/livingcolourmusic for more information.

Front page photo by Bill Bernstein.