Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey are stupid fun live (at least this is what I gather from video and recordings, since I’ve yet to experience this personally). Keyboardist Brian Haas, guitarist Chris Combs, and percussionist Josh Raymer (amongst numerous other variations of all their primary instruments, of course, to serve the craziness) have a raucous good time making their raucous music, especially on the road, as their video for “Tetherball Triumph” and their new video for “Appropriation Song” can attest. These are all from the new live album JFJO is releasing tomorrow, The Battle for Earth, recorded over two days at Dazzle in Denver, CO, one of those spots in one of those cities where many Royal Potato Family shows tend to roll through and seems quite amenable to the crazy jazz music these guys make. Check out the video after the jump.
To convey the whole live experience of JFJO, it’s best to actually see them in front of you, so hopefully you’ll be in one of these cities over the next few months as the guys tour in support of the new album and in support of general craziness.
September 19 – Oklahoma City, OK – WestFest
September 22 – Tulsa, OK – The Vanguard (#)
September 26 – Guthrie, OK – Taloa Music Fest
October 9 – Kansas City, MO – Oddly Correct ($)
October 10 – Kansas City, MO – Oddly Correct
October 16 – New Orleans, LA – The Howlin’ Wolf (%)
October 22 – Albuquerque, NM – The Outpost
October 23 & 24 – Denver, CO – The 1up (^)
October 30 & 31 – San Francisco, CA – Docs’ Lab (&)
November 5 & 6 – Seattle, WA – Earshot Jazz Festival @ Royal Room (^)
November 7 – Portland, OR – The Goodfoot Lounge (*)
# – w/ Thundercat
$ – w/ Mark Southerland
% – w/ Youngblood Brass Band and Mike Dillon Band
^ – w/ Skerik
& – w/ Skerik and Chris Noonan
* – w/ Skerik, Wil Blades and DJ Logic
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey’s The Battle for Earth is out September 4 on Royal Potato Family.

Nextbop Editor-in-Chief Anthony Dean-Harris hosts the modern jazz radio show, The Line-Up, Fridays at 9pm CST on 91.7 FM KRTU San Antonio and is also a contributing writer to DownBeat Magazine and the San Antonio Current.