FUMOSONIC: Reviews/Interviews

FumoSonic - LOVE IS EVERYTHING: Kelly (vocals/samples) & John Fumo (trumpet, flugelhorn, keyboards) are joined by a whole host of musical pals in a sonic adventure you won't soon put down... this is the kind of music you can listen to again & again and always find some new nuance! I'm quite impressed, as they keep a strong jazz influence, yet weave in plenty of other musical styles that will be aurally attractive to all but the least adventurous listeners... check out the percussion intro on "I Have The Perfect Kind Of Love", & listen as it tastefully morphs into something that you might hear 'round the Mediterranean... this track will stay up at the top of your playlists for a long time to come. Jazz style is at the forefront of "Your Subtle Ways", and it's this fusion of styles that keeps the music (more) interesting than all the other pretenders to this throne. It was the keyboards under the stellar vocal on "Altar Of Love" that captured my vote for favorite track... not to mention John's superb horn... would have been nice to have this run about 5 minutes (or more), rather than the 2:55 it turned out to be on my CD. I really dig FumoSonic, & will look forward to more from them... I give them my HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating, as well as an "EQ" (energy quotient) rating of 4.96. Get more information at www.fumosonic.com Rotcod Zzaj

Discovering Fumosonic

The band Fumosonic is the first that really grabbed my attention. They blend percussion from India with American pop and jazz to produce a sound I have really never heard. That is rare and what I am always waiting for. The featured performers are John Fumo on trumpet and his wife Kelly Fumo on vocals. Its amazing how they combine distorted electric guitar, trumpet and tabla and come up with a very catchy and engaging sound that could be played right along some of the pop tracks on Madonna’s Ray of Light CD (which I love).

Since the point of this blog is to find totally free songs to download and burn I contacted John and asked if we could have permission to allow my favorite song “I Have the Perfect Kind of Love” here for download, and he said to go right ahead. This is an incredible jam that is unpredictable and inviting during every moment.

Free Song Download: IHavethePerfectKindofLove.MP3

I won’t go into their entire biography because you can get more information here:

Buy the CD at CDBaby

Fumosonic.com

Fumosonic is really worth listening to and the other tracks on the CD are great too!

Peace and enjoy.

Dan-O

Love Is Everythimg

Somewhere among jazz, pop and Bollywood is the genre defying music of the duo Fumosonic. Husband and wife team of John Fumo and wife Kelly combine their talents as a trumpeter and vocalist respectively to create their own musical niche in the world. Their new album Everything is Love definitely has groove written all over it, but the different textures and eclectic compositions make the album interesting to me.

John and Kelly met when they were both in the same band, fell in love and began writing songs. John is the jazz enthusiast in the group while Kelly is the contemporary fan. Their diverse paths converge into music that is energizing and contemporary.

All That There Is is a sexy invitation to the pleasures found in a torrid romance. Kelly's voice sounds alluring and John's trumpet is jazzy with counterpoint. Very good bass and percussion on this one. There is some great backup throughout the album with a large cast of musical characters and some good background vocals as well.

Love is Everything is a reference to the album's title and one of the best tracks on the CD. The song has a sultry French speaking voice and echoing background vocals. John plays a muted trumpet that resonates in the cut giving it a sense of mystery. Kelly's baby voice is overshadowed by a strange howling sound that adds darkness to the light of love.

Home of the Garwhal Kingdom, Denhra Dun is a city in the northern part of India noted for its ancient ties to religion and its modern ties to education. Denhra Dun is the name of a song that John and Kelly play and it is full if bright lights and pulsating energy. It has sort of a "Low Rider" kind of feel with that prominent bass, punchy percussion and the shrill sound of the trumpet. Yes, there is all that energy.

Siddhartha is a cut that is different from any other and for this it is my favorite. It is the only instrumental track on the album. It has a Middle Eastern theme with simple trumpet, duduk and bass that turns into perhaps a jazz ballad and comes back full circle into the Middle Eastern tune. Over all, the music is hauntingly beautiful with a lot of unexpected twists and turns. Frankly, I wanted to hear more like it.

If you like a mixed bag of jazz and contemporary with just a tinge ethnicity performed by some very talented musicians, then Love Is Everything will suit you just fine. What I liked most about the album is its variety. You probably will too.

Rating: Good + - RJ Lannan
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Seldom do liner notes describe an album's music as well as these do (penned by jazz book author Scott Yanow): "Their music, which is beyond any simple classification, mixes together aspects from jazz, fusion, R&B, funk and pop along with the influence of various types of World Music to create a music that is very new." That sums up Love Is Everything, from duo Fumosonic (Kelly Fumo on vocals and samples and her husband John on trumpet, flugelhorn and keys) quite well, thank you. This is serious Sunbeam Mixmaster music, i.e. put the disparate parts in a blender and hit "PUREE." The result is never less than intriguing and frequently the music invites toe-tapping, head-nodding and maybe even movement of the nether regions in time to the funky, sensual rhythms, intoxicating melodies and Kelly Fumo's sexy voice.

There are way too many accompanists to list them all, and I don’t want any of them to feel left out, but I do want to mention Brad Dutz on tabla and udu (among other percussion) and duduk player Chris Bleth, both of whom impressed me.

Love Is Everything's ten tracks are amalgams of the aforementioned genres with an emphasis on jazz, pop and funk, while the world music elements are usually relegated more to the background (mostly characterized by Middle Easter/East Indian percussive beats). The jazzier side of the music is heard through John Fumo's excellent horn playing (especially his bluesy muted trumpet) as well as some tasty keyboard work now and then. When the funk arrives, it shows its face with heavy bass guitar beats and even the appearance of some wah-wah guitar. Add Kelly's sensuous vocals to this already libidinous mixture and you are invited to a cross-cultural, multi-genre musical feast, whether you have a taste for smoky lounge-ish Latin-influences (Your Subtle Ways), belly-dancing beats blended with crunchy electric guitar (Dream of Love), French/Euro-chill out enhanced with spicy ethnic percussion (Love Is Everything) or a bass-heavy blast-of-sex retro-funk and Fender Rhodes licks (Altar of Love). There's even an ending instrumental that morphs from mournful duduk into a sophisticated free jazz duet of muted trumpet and bass. Nice!

While I think some of the songs' lyrics are a tad cliche and over-the-top (although doubtless sincere), Kelly Fumo's voice is more than pleasing enough that I eventually stopped focusing on the words per se. When it comes to the musical talents of all the artists who appear on Love Is Everything, they got it going on all over the place. This one grew on me after just three playings and my enjoyment caught me more than a little by surprise. Recommended.

Rating: Good + - Bill Binkelman
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#39 in the top 100 New Age charts Sept and October

Birmingham, AL AL WVSU 91.1 FM 
Pacific Grove, CA CA Smoothjazz.com
Champaign, IL IL WBCP 1580 AM 
Norfolk, VA VA WHOV 88.1 FM 
LARAMIE, WY WY KUWR/KUWZ 91.9 FM
Barcelona Radio Despi 107.2 FM
Bucharest RFI (Radio France Intl)
Santa Rosa, CA CA KRCB (core) 91.1 FM 
Grand Junction, CO CO KAFM 88.1 FM 
Wilmington, DE DE WVUD 91.3 FM
Honolulu, HI HI KTUH 90.3 FM
Raleigh-Durham, NC NC WXDU 88.7 FM
KEENE, NH NH WKNH 91.3 FM
Jeffersonville, NY NY WJFF 90.5 FM 
Toronto, ON ON Galaxie CBC Cable 
Cedar Rapids, IA PA KCCK 88.3 FM 
EAST STROUDSBURG, PA PA WESS 90.3 FM
Chattanooga, TN TN WAWL (core) 91.5 FM
Chattanooga, TN TN WUTC 88.1 FM
Moab, UT UT KZMU 89.7 FM 
Seattle, WA WA KAOS 89.3 FM 
Wausau, WI WI WWSP 89.9 FM 

LOVE FUMOSONIC..COOL FEM VOX & MILESIAN TRUMPET & FLUGELHORN. SENSUAL! -- MITCH MENDYS

John and Kelly Fumo are quite a duo. Their music is soulful, upbeat, spiritual, and has an excellent groove. Each song flows with positive energy and a worldly beat that draws you in to a place of peace and love. Kelly’s beautiful and sensual voice, along with John’s tight and powerful trumpet, in the most pure sense…makes us feel calm and happy! Their messages of positivity, love, and peace radiate through our sound system, impacting our day beautifully.”

Fumosonic creates an atmospheric blend of pop, acid jazz, electronica, and other styles. Provocative vocal work from Kelly Fumo is augmented by the delectable jazz trumpet work of John Fumo and the right touches of loops, keys and guitar. The music has a sultry pulse in a semi-laid back environment that helps you experience the musical and songwriting talents.

Producers/musicians John and Kelly Fumo compose music that relies heavily on Hip Hop grooves embellished with Jazz trumpet solos and lyrics that are thought provoking and sensual.

Reviewer: DJ Crush
I heard the FUMO track "A Different Place and Time" on a CD Baby jazz compilation. The sound grabbed me immediately, a mellow head bob type of sound. This track grooves and now my interest is heightened a few scores. Good luck to FUMO, I'll spread the word! DJ Come of Age

What people have to say about �FUMO"


�Easy, sweet fresh grooves from the heart for those special nights with the one you love.�


-Dianne Reeves (Jazz Grammy Winner)





"John & Kelly Fumo present a hypnotic blend of musical influences woven

together, creating a highly original music, accessible to the masses."

-Chris Standring-(A&R Online)





�This is cool...the sound is very modern. A little bit of trumpet, a little vocal and heavy beats give it a hip street vibe. I like it a lot! �

-Kelly Cole (Music Director, KIFM
Smooth Jazz 98)


�I really enjoyed it! Really interesting stuff ! Unique combination of trumpet and voice.

Fresh and wonderful!�

-Jeff Kashewa (Farenheit Records)

Interview with Fumo


#1 Where on the Internet can people find out more about you and your musical activities?


We have a website at www.fumosonic.com. An interested soul can join our email/guest list and find out where and when we are performing. Follow links to downloads of new music as well as bio info and photos. Also: www.mp3.com/fumosonic.


#2 How were you inspired to go into music, and what kind of training have you had?


My father was a jazz fan. He would play me records (78's) of Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Ellington, etc. He bought me a cornet for $10 when I was 11 years old and I've been playing ever since. I took private lessons from the 7th grade though College. I attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, then moved to Los Angeles where I study (by observation) from all the great trumpet players I sit next to.


#3 Of the session work you have done, what has been the most interesting, and why?


The recording Kelly and I have been doing is definitely the most interesting and rewarding. We go in the studio and laugh, and sweat, and lose ourselves until we both love what we created. Some solo sessions take days, some take 2 minutes. The sessions with Neil Young were all done with a live band tracking in the same room usually. We would do a song 18x's in a row. I got to play and sing "gang backgrounds" on an Al Jarreau Cd and that was a kick. All the CD's on NINE WINDS records I've recorded were fun because of the total freedom given to me thru the music.


#4 How did you and your wife Kelly get started as a musical team?


We met in a band in LA. She was singing background vocals, I was in the horn section. The band was Delaney Bramlett and Friends. One thing led to another, we fell in love, got married and decided to write music together. That was almost 13 years ago. We had a tiny Casio keyboard and a teac 4 track tape deck, and did some interesting quirky records.


#5 What influences have inspired yours and Kelly's musical direction, and why?


To name a few, I dig Miles Davis, Pink Floyd, Freddy King, Mahler, Ives, James Brown and Ornett Coleman. I like to bring in something out of the ordinary in our music. Kelly loves groove music, hip hop dance, early rap, ll cool j, warren G., Groove Collective, Morcheeba, as well as Chet Baker, and Ella. She brings the groove.


#6 What do you want people to get from listening to your CD "different place and time"?


This CD is a mix of what we were feeling and going thru in the year it was made. 2001. These songs came from our hearts, we were moving forward in our lives at a pace that was indeed powerful for us. This music helped us deal with some of these changes. If a listener comes away in a better mood, or is inspired to do some creating of their own, I feel we have been of service to the music lover.


#7 What are your thoughts about the Internet and music?


I use the internet to listen to new music, to pass our music onto people, and promote our band. It's such a great tool to reach the world's population. I only put a few tunes up for free downloads. I believe the artists should receive compensation for their works, so that they can continue to create.


#8 What projects should people look for in the future?


We are working on a new CD to be finished this year. It will probably contain some covers we enjoy doing, but altered in a special way. We also have a CD we produced of instrumentals being shopped around for Film and TV exposure. This may be released as a CD this year. Kelly and I are in the process of putting together a "Fumosonic Sunday" event once a month in LA. Check the website for more info.

Fumosonic

Questa band, composta dal trombettista John Fumo e sua moglie la cantautrice Kelly Fumo, mescola percussioni dall'India con pop e jazz americano per produrre un sound accattivante che è inatteso ed invitante in ogni momento.