Mellow by name but not necessarily mellow by nature, Sons of the Mellow Mafia have come to my attention through their self-titled debut.
By Graeme Smith
Sons of the Mellow Mafia are David Lockeretz on upright bass, Ethan Setiawan on mandolin, Giulio Brouzet on harmonica, Scott Smith on piano, and David Oromaner on drums, alongside Anthony Fesmire, who did the mixing and mastering, the collection have put together a sound that leans acoustic. It feels familiar yet distinct.
Their self-titled album is a lot to digest. On the surface, it’s laidback jazz but dig down under the surface and we find plenty of complexity. “I semi-jokingly refer to this music as yacht-mericana,” says Lockeretz. “I’m a proud fan of yacht rock – and I consider the label to be a compliment – such as Steely Dan, and I like in particular how the genre takes influences of jazz harmonies and grooves and gives them a pop/rock sensibility.”
Fans of ‘70s and ‘80s soft rock may recognise the phrase “Mellow Mafia,” or “Mellow Section.” Proponents of the scene, Lockeretz took inspiration from them while forming his band’s sound.
“I thought calling this group Sons of the Mellow Mafia was a fun way to pay homage,” he says. “I’d say the tunes that most explicitly reference that era are Uncle Funny Plays With The Bass which was inspired by a comment made by my then three-year old nephew and has musical nods to Crocodile Rock by Elton John, Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen and Go All The Way by the Raspberries, and also Breonna which uses the outline of Run for the Roses by Dan Fogelberg.”
That’s perhaps why the music on the album feels traditional. But, as generations tend to do, the ‘sons’ create their own rulebook. The result is a delicious combination of the old and the new, and I found myself on tenterhooks to see what each new track unveiled.
The pieces are, of course, mellow, but they’re not all bright and breezy. October 9th takes on the topics of war and peace, written two days after the war in Gaza broke out. “It also happens to be John Lennon’s birthday,” says Lockeretz. “The tune is intended to be a homage to Lennon and his message of peace, and also a speculation about what he might have thought of the current state of the world.
“The tune is an ‘A-A-B-A’ form, and the first two ‘A’ sections end with a chord that’s just root and fifth, so it’s not major or minor, making its tone more ambiguous. The last ‘A’ ends on a major triad. It’s a subtle difference, but it’s designed to give the tune a feeling of hope at the end.”
But overall, Sons of the Mellow Mafia want to portray an image of musicians having fun in what can often be accused of a being a stuffy and old-fashioned genre. “When jazz is treated as a museum piece or homework assignment by its creators – here are the rules, let’s follow them better than anyone else does – it will be received as such,” Lockeretz says. “On the other hand, when the audience gets the sense that the musicians are having fun, and not playing as if they are going to get graded on it, I think they will respond differently.”
My response to Sons of the Mellow Mafia was gentle appreciation and joy, so he may be right. It’s a nuanced collection that’s easy to get into and quickly absorbs you. I promise you’ve not heard much like it, and it may change your mind on what you consider your musical tastes to be.
So, what’s next for Lockeretz?
“I’m writing music for what I hope to be the second Sons of the Mellow Mafia album, but for right now my focus is on another project of instrumental music, Outside Pedestrian, which is a guitar-oriented trio featuring me, David Oromaner on drums, and Anthony Fesmire on guitar.”
I look forward to hearing both.
Sons of the Mellow Mafia is out now, and you can listen to it below.
Supported by Musosoup #SustainableCurator
