Robert Miller’s Project Grand Slam release new album PGS7

Marching to the charged beat of an unmatched percussive section, Robert Miller’s Project Grand Slam dive into “Get Out!,” one of the staple songs of their new album PGS7, intent on getting everyone listening stomping to the rhythm of this electrified protest anthem by the time we hit the ten-second mark in the track. Much like the jazzier “Take Me,” “Get Out!” is structured as to place its captivating grooves at the center of our attentions from beginning to end. There’s no holding Project Grand Slam back on this record – from the absolutely erotic fashion in which they adapt “The ‘In’ Crowd” into their own stylish brand of fusion to the dazzling display of jazz-influenced virtuosities that they unleash in songs like the soulful “Yeah Yeah,” they operate with an efficient (though constantly relentless) intensity that is unparalleled in the American underground today. PGS7 feels like a supersized Band of Gypsys; there’s an improvisational feel to all of its material, and yet the organic passion that the players contribute to every song ensures that they’re never out of sync with each other.

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In “Tree of Life,” Project Grand Slam - and specifically singer Ziarra Washington - produce one of the most emotional performances that they’ve ever included on an LP. The breathtakingly melodic vocal from Washington aside, the lyrical content is utterly haunting (especially in the wake of recent events in the news). On the flipside of this song’s brutally honest pleas, we find the band in much higher spirits in tracks like the groove-driven funk jam “Python,” punky “I Don’t Know Why” and retro rock n’ roller “No One’s Fool,” but no matter the tempo or topic covered by our singer’s artful poeticisms, there’s never an instance where the music lacks the sort of raw power synonymous with legends. “At Midnight” sees Project Grand Slam manipulating a relaxed beat into a straight-up jazz juggernaut, while the calculatedly progressive “Torpedo of Love” incorporates a higher caliber of conceptualism than I had previously realized this band capable of experimenting with. Even simpler songs like “With You” and the swaggering “Funk Latino” command a lot of attention, and though PGS7’s hit single “Redemption Road” has been garnering the most praise out of any track on this LP, it’s no more a spellbinder than any of the songs that it sits beside in this flawless tracklist are.

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/album/4ftaEAv76cOhIsKxA5tiCy

Project Grand Slam were already creating a lot of AOTY buzz with the release of Greetings from Serbia earlier on in 2019, but after dropping this most recent treat, it should be obvious to anyone who follows independent music that they are collectively the undisputed royal family of alternative fusion this year. Robert Miller’s work has never left me feeling dissatisfied, but what he and his players have done with PGS7 is beyond a slam dunk. Whether you’re a diehard jazz enthusiast, a fan of eclectic music or just interested in something that goes against the sonic grain, this is an album that deserves all of the attention it has received and more this August.

Gavin Shaughnessy

The music of PROJECT GRAND SLAM has been heard all over the world due to the promotional services offered by Danie Cortese Entertainment & Publicity. Learn more here - http://www.daniecorteseent.com/