As the famous Jazz musician Miles Davis once said; ‘don’t play what’s there, play what’s not there.’ Upon first glimpse of this phrase, it appears the blindingly obvious thing to say – ultimate and innovative artistic freedom shouldn’t be confined to one space or pigeonholed but should seek to eclipse the standard sound of any given era. And, to a great degree, it’s a piece of perennial advice that most of the current pop and rock bands seem to have forgotten.

       It’s hard to envisage walking into a high street record shop, scanning the CD sections – Indie, Metal, Jazz, Funk, PostPunkScreamoHardcore – before stumbling upon an anonymous one, one harbouring a solitary shiny disc. This hour plus patchwork of pitch, flared instrumental genius and dynamics could well be the soundtrack to a dream sequence, a script for some mentally tranquil life that will unfortunately never get past the dress rehearsal stages.

        Of course, skim through the back catalogue of avant-garde groups and solo artists over the last 30 years – from Coltrane to the Velvet Underground to Pink Floyd – it is possible to see where Poetry Band gained their sonic inspiration. What such bands did not achieve though, was to physically and spiritually work across art forms and not just musical ones.  The brilliance and impact of the aforementioned artists cannot be underestimated but, if most people adhere to the belief that music swings in circles, then surely every new zeitgeist needs a pioneer to carry it forward.

        Cue Poetry Band. The clue lies in the title which, given the ultra-progressive and genre spanning experimentation of their music, seems a gloriously insignificant letdown. The simplicity of the name isn’t echoed in the music though. Leaping from free style jazz and gospel via psychedelic rock, the notes and patterns fluctuate and unfold with an unabashed ease. That’s only half the story however. Indeed as well as cutting edge sound, the centrepiece of this musical carousel lies in the poetry being sung over the top.

         The euphoric mumblings accompanying the backdrop are the brainchild of front man Wilson Sherman, who has been described as the ‘Outlaw Poet.’ And it’s not hard to see why. His verses flow with nonchalance and the symbolic connotations are ones bound to instil wonderment and the questioning of self and life into any listener. ‘Light shines/pray tell/holy Ghost/is alive and well’ is the opening line from the bands latest recording ‘Revival’. It might seem overtly religious but they do manage to avoid the preachy element once you care to scratch beneath the surface. Each song (some lasting up to ten minutes in length) scoops up its audience and places them in the heart of a torrent of subconscious; both unconscious thought and suppressed emotion.

        Sherman’s itinerary largely hones in on social justice and worldly retribution. He has already released two books (Rooms and Exit) and refuses outright to cut any of his material down to meet the needs of commercial radio. Delivering his vital imagery over a melody is something absolutely unique in the arts world. But as well as working this way around, the spoken passages neatly underpin the non genre-specific element of the guitars, brass and piano. Furthermore, take the tracks apart and the poetry can operate as a standalone art form which, in a musical landscape currently dominated by ‘Indie’ guitar bands, renders them a breath of fresh air.

          Some might call it a glorified jam. Others might label it gospel rock. Truth be told though, this modern, musical kaleidoscope opens up out over the duration of each track like a wildflower and thus there is no pre-determined shelf for it in your average retailer. Despite the blatant non-easy listening aspect of the project, the listener will be rewarded for their perseverance. Poetry Band are not your archetypal new band or even lyricists whose fans feel little sense of tangible association with, they are a voyage – and one which you won’t start missing until its over.

         Wilson Sherman declares his influences stretch back to biblical times when David read the psalms over the background noise of his musicians. Propel this idea into the twenty first Century; add a touch of Bob Dylan’s well crafted protest singing ability and you can begin to understand the profound meaning of this type of idea.

          With the music and poetry is at times intentionally interspersed with uncertainty, one thing is for sure. Miles Davis or indeed William Blake – another cited influence, would revel in the outside the box thinking contained within the Poetry Band.

You can listen to Poetry Band on their Myspace page at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=299509 or visit www.poetryband.com

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