The best thing about platforms like YouTube is that they level the playing field when it comes to new and upcoming artists.
Although major companies have also used the internet at a staging and marketing platform, the best use of YouTube is searching for viral videos and new talent!
Even though it’s more competitive now than it has ever been in the past, there are still plenty of impressive groups out there who deserve more exposure.
Needless to say, the trio of performers that we’re talking about today is definitely one of those groups!
The video we’re talking about includes musicians Michael League, Cory Henry and Nathaniel Townsley.
For those who don’t know, League is a bassist for the NY-based funk and jazz collective Snarky Puppy, whose many performances have electrified the internet. Henry is also an ex-member of Snarky Puppy, while Townsley is a talented drummer and an actor.
The song they decided to perform together was “Continuum” by Jaco Pastorius. For his part, Pastorius is a famous bassist known for performing with Joni Mitchell and Pat Metheny, though he was also a band leader in his own right.
The song selection was perfect, and the trio was determined to perform it the right way.
The video starts with League plucking out a few gentle notes on his bass to set the tone.
From the very beginning, it’s clear this won’t be a standard performance on bass. While the bass is usually just there to set the basic rhythm for a song and to be in the background, in League’s capable hands it turns into a very expressive instrument in its own right!
After some solo-ing and some nasty facial expressions, League opens it up to the rest of the band to join in.
And from there, the performance only gets better.
Next up, Townsley starts adding in a gentle beat by working in the cymbals.
On the heels of that, Henry joins in on the keys and the trio is up and running! Although the performance isn’t particularly flashy, it’s incredible to see three musicians so locked into the groove with one another.
These three simple music parts come together to create such a layered and rich sound. It’s clear from their performance that these three have incredible musical chemistry.
Each improvisation they do goes so smoothly with no hiccups—it’s like they can read each other’s minds!
After jamming out for a few minutes (and after a few awesome solos), the band brings their performance to a close.
Since the clip was posted online in August 2012, it has earned more than a million views—but it definitely deserves a lot more! Although not everyone loves jazz music, the way these three play it is truly unique.
If nothing else, the music speaks to the depth of their friendship and to their absolute mastery of musical technique. Those who liked this video should definitely watch more of this trio on YouTube, especially the video of them performing “Creepin’”:
Though it goes without saying, there’s virtually no end to the amazing music out there if we look for it.
Special thanks to these three musicians for an amazing performance! Be sure to watch the whole thing in the link below:
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