Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey

On Friday, March 4th, Reed Mathis’ Electric Beethoven will release "The Path," the third digital single off of a monthly series leading up to the release of his double LP Hear No Evil coming out August 4, 2022.

During the lockdown last year, Reed Mathis had lots of time on his hands. Setting an intention to use the downtime wisely, he decided to visit his storage space filled with countless recordings, photos and miscellaneous ephemera from his years and years of touring and recording with underground jazz experimentalists, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey.

In Reed's own words: "What I found in there astonished me."

Like most musicians in 2020, Reed Mathis found himself with time on his hands being that all of his tours and session work had been cancelled for the foreseeable future. Never one to idle, Reed turned attention to his archives, dusting off countless hours of audio from Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, the Tulsa, OK-based band that he helped found and performed with for nearly 15 years. First and foremost, among his discoveries was 'Winterwood'—Mathis' final studio recording with JFJO.

Tulsa guitarist, composer, and producer, Chris Combs, is set to release “Roche Blave: Large Ensemble Works Recorded Live in Switzerland” through the nonprofit Horton Records label April 30. Combs, known for his improvisational blend of jazz, hip-hop, and experimental elements in his work with Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey (JFJO) and his own band, COMBSY, was commissioned to write the music in 2012 by Jazzwerkstatt Bern, an international jazz festival based in Bern, Switzerland.

Combsy – the solo project of Chris Combs, guitarist of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey – will hit the road this May and June in support of their self-titled debut LP (Horton Records) which was released in late 2017.  The band won’t stray too far from their hometown of Tulsa with shows in Nashville, Little Rock, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Montrose CO, Denver and Santa Fe.

Chris Combs, guitarist, composer and member of the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, offers his debut solo album, Combsy. Based out of Tulsa, OK, Combs has written, arranged and produced the album in its entirety.

Isaac Newton once said, “If I have been able to see further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”  The exciting new album and resulting tour of Reed Mathis and 'Electric Beethoven' is just that, going further standing on the shoulders of giants.  The album is filled with classical allusions and improvisational rockets that launch off into another world.  Mathis took a concept that he has been chewing on for quite some time and put the pieces together into a masterpiece.

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey have announced the release of a live album The Battle For Earth out September 4 via Royal Potato Family.

Celebrating two decades of defying genres and creating ceaselessly groundbreaking music, Tulsa-based Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is set to release Worker, their 26th album, on October 14 via Royal Potato Family. The 11-track effort marks the first studio recording from the current trio line-up featuring Brian Haas (keyboards, Moog bass), Chris Combs (guitar, lap steel), and Josh Raymer (drums).

Sometimes it’s cool to catch a concert in Boulder that isn’t at Boulder or Fox Theatres. We love both of those venues, but there are so many lesser-appreciated venue spaces attached to bars and restaurants primarily in the downtown area. I include Mountain Sun Brewery Restaurant & Pub, Laughing Goat Coffeehouse, Connor O’Neil’s Irish Pub, and Lazy Dog Saloon all in this category. Perhaps the most underappreciated venue space downtown in Shine Restaurant & Gathering Place.

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