The South End on The Brothers Groove
January 31st, 2001
Publication: The South End Newspaper
Original URL: http://www.southend.wayne.edu/days/1312001/days/1312001/ae/groove/groove.html

By Annie Houston Contributing Writer Take three friendly, mildly wild musicians, add some Austin Powers, lyrics from the mind of Frank Zappa and a funky beat. Throw it in a pressure cooker, clamp it down and let it stew 'till the meat falls off the bone. You've just created The Brothers Groove. At a recent Monday night performance at Fifth Avenue in Royal Oak, TBG was getting its groove on. With a chunk of slapstick, a little bit of soul, a bounce and a boom, we were rollin'. Try some roller rink organ music, a running bass line and that single driving rock beat with some splash added. Use that background to sing the following words in "My Girlfriend Too" and just leave the audience guessing: "She seen us together/ she served us lunch/ The way she's been acting/ I've got a hunch/ that she's looking for more/ than the number two/ She likes me and my girlfriend, too." "I'm just trying to plant a scene that'll grow into a fantasy," Chris Codish said. Of course, if you've had a chance to see TBG, you already knew that. On "Lunar Jet," we get: "Girls on my left/ girls on my right/ I wish I had better peripheral site." It's a nice, smooth, jazzy clip that slides in and out of deceptively complex rhythms. Codish does get into some serious themes like domestic abuse and the superficial, meaningless things that we all get attached to. He talks about bulimia and anorexia in "All we care about is looks/ we don't care about the inside." Codish plays keyboards, writes the songs and does the lead vocals for this offbeat musical group. He is backed by James Simonson on bass and Michael Caskey on drums. The trio combines its efforts in writing the music. The guys formed TBG in August 1999 when they became friends and realized their musical efforts jelled together. Codish worked with Johnnie Bassett and the Blues Insurgents, writing and playing organ. He wanted to explore the music without a guitar sound, though he's worked with local and world-class guitarists like Lucky Peterson and Larry McCray. Not wanting to limit his music, Codish's style covers jazz, blues, funk, rock, soul and then some. His lyrics add their own touch with sarcastic wit and some well-phrased turns. Simonson obviously knows his way around the bass and makes full use of it. His use of phrasing and rhythm is excellent. Simonson also produced most of the CD, Clamp It Down, TBG's first effort ever. Caskey studied for years with Miles Davis' drummer, Billy Hart, and it shows. His delight in playing for an audience is as obvious as his talent. These guitarless wonders are getting their fair share around town these days. Last week, they were featured on Channel 56's "Backstage Pass," which ran Sunday, Thursday and Friday. They were also featured on FOX 2 that same week. Last year, TBG was nominated for the "Outstanding Modern Jazz Band" at the 2000 Detroit Music Awards. Codish won "Outstanding Blues Songwriter" and was voted "Best Keyboardist" in Real Detroit. When you see TBG live, you'll know right away - these guys are out to have fun and are taking you with them. You'll be singing along with them, "You've got that thang, that thang that I've been searching for." The Brothers Groove will perform today at noon in the Student Center Building. The group can also be seen on Mondays at Fifth Ave. in Royal Oak, (248) 542-8922; and Thursdays at the Music Menu in Greektown, (313) 964-MENU).