In the world of hard-core funk tinged improvisational jazz, there exists an entity known as Gardening With Alice. When bringing forth their unique sounds and styles to the populace at large, this entity has been described as "musical terrorists", "retro-actively ahead of their time", "bombastic" and "scruffy vikings". Not only has this assemblage turned heads because of their unrenowned skills in the culinary arts, they can really play too! The most exciting events in the lives and times of Gardening With Alice have happened most recently, with the bands latest aptly titled C.D. "3".
Recorded live at le foyer on a single engagement in September 97, released in July of 98. This spectacular sonic chronicle is a true reflection of the changes the band has taken since it's first recording four years ago. Striving to break the 'fusion' label, the band began its journey by absorbing some elements of major acts it has opened for. The ever burgeoning characteristics of the band now include the deep and dirty body bouncing groove of Medeski, Martin and Wood, the harmonic and melodic intricacies of Alan Holdsworth (both of whom GWA opened for during the Winnipeg Jazz Festival '95), and the pure power of performance learned from the disciples of Prince, Greazy Meal (Winnipeg Jazz Festival, '97). At times, the immediate surroundings have influenced GWA's compositions; many a tune have been written in the van while touring the jazz festivals in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa Etc.
The band has developed a cult following of musicians and other imbalanced persons in both Winnipeg and abroad.
While on a recent trip to Vancouver 's Music West Festival the band garnered interest from Warner Music Canada. Steve Jordan of Warner Music was quoted as saying he was "musically Intrigued".
This band, whilst comprised of three musicians who, admittedly, are quite individualistic, harmoniously blends the aforementioned personalities to spawn a creature so intense in poly-rhythmic atonality that its listeners are surreptitiously sucked into an anarchistically angular universe filled with tangential melodies, harmonic groove templates, mind altering bass nuances and run-on sentences.
