Oakland Freedom Jazz Society: Oluyemi / Cabbages, Captain & King
Oluyemi Thomas (of Positive Knowledge), solo
Cabbages, Captain & King
Eli Wallace, keyboard & compositions, Jon Arkin, drums, and
Karl Evangelista, guitar
Cabbages, Captain, & King was spawned in 2013 when these three musicians got together for a casual jam session. Originally, they played music by Carla Bley and other free jazz composers, but quickly shifted to originals as Wallace wanted to write compositions that specifically dealt with this unique instrumentation. The music contains influences from free jazz, post-bop jazz, modern classical music, and noise rock; it shifts sharply from cohesive ensemble playing to totally free improvisation. Many of the open sections contain elements of structure - although often opaque - that transport the players from point A to point B in the compositions. The compositions themselves cover a large territory in musical language and structure, allowing for a diverse playing field suited for each musician to contribute inimitably.