Funk-metal supergroup Praxis is one of the vehicles for producer/bassist Bill Laswell's ever-changing musical whims. Consisting of Laswell, Bernie Worrell on synths, and metal-maniacs Buckethead and Brain on guitar and drums, the ensemble has brought its genre-bending fusionist approach to amazed audiences around the world. A live document of their appearance at the 2004 Bonnaroo Festival, TENNESSEE rips through 11 tracks of mind-altering psychedelic metal and avant-jazz experimentation. A thrilling set that blends futuristic dub and hip-hop with the extreme end of musical improvisation, TENNESSEE will reward intrepid explorers of the musical fringe.
Includes a Jaw Dropping 7-Minute version of Hendrix's classic "Machine Gun"Praxis is the name of an ever-changing Bill Laswell musical project. One of the best live and most influential groups of the last 20 years, Praxis defined a new genre in music by combining elements of Funkadelic, Last Exit, jazz, hip-hop and heavy metal into a highly improvised, extremely challenging music. First appearing in 1993 with the critically acclaimed Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis), Buckethead, Bill Laswell, Bernie Worrell and Brain have defined the direction of the band over the last 14 years.
Among the 90,000 self-avowed hipsters and tripsters who braved the heavy rains at Bonnaroo 2004 in Manchester, Tennessee, the chances are good that only a few of them were truly prepared for the sonic onslaught of Praxis. The band hit their mark at around midnight on the first day of what has become the jam circuit's top-selling music festival, and from the outset, the core trio of Buckethead (guitars), Brain (drums) and Bill Laswell (bass)-with a special guest appearance by P-Funk synth wizard Bernie Worrell-packed a wallop.
"Hardcore supergroup Praxis bring the noise, but guitarist Buckethead is freaking me out," was the reaction from VH1's Scott Lapatine, and he wasn't alone; other music critics and fans alike were equally blown away by the "mind-twistingly manic" and "almost unbelievable" sounds emanating from the wall of amplifiers onstage. Many in the crowd had already heard of Buckethead through his much-publicized break with Axl Rose and Guns 'N Roses, while Brain was equally well-known for his stint with Les Claypool's Primus and other groups on the Bay Area punk-funk scene. Laswell, for his part, has enjoyed a devout fan base simply for the sheer quantity of albums he has produced, for artists ranging from Herbie Hancock to Mick Jagger, Yoko Ono, George Clinton and beyond. But any feeling of familiarity at Bonnaroo was quickly dashed by the group's futuristic blend of industrial noise, avant-rock, dub, funk and hip-hop-all of which taken together created, for most in attendance that night, an entirely alien but somehow weirdly compelling experience. Although this is a live recording, the quality is sensational. Producer/Engineer Oz Fritz (Tom Waits, Wanda Jackson, Tabla Beat Science, Primus, The Apes) may steal the show with his production work.
As Buckethead, with his customary aplomb, told Guitar Player magazine, "Praxis is a big binge loaf, like terror long dangler buddies on a scoop rack. [To me], taking people away in their imaginations is a lot more important than freaking people out with the guitar." And who are we to argue?
Recording information: Bonnaroo Music Festival (2004).
Unknown Contributor Roles: Bernie Worrell; Robert Richards; Alex Theoret.
Praxis: Bill Laswell (bass guitar); Brain (drums); Buckethead, Bernie Worrell.
Personnel: Buckethead (guitar); Bernie Worrell (keyboards).
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