Two's company and three's a crowd, but seven's heaven for Time Baby.
Whether it's a silent compliment thrown in the direction of a fellow band member who just completed a nasty solo or a perma-smile on each of their faces, the members of the Spokane jazz group always look like they're having the time of their lives on stage — and they are. But behind the incredibly good vibes are years of dedication, practice and passion for jazz music, and the technical knowledge to perform it effectively.
Time Baby consists of composer/bandleader Lauren McKinley (vibraphone, keys), Caleb Brown (saxophone), Riley Gray (keyboard, synth), Mercy Maxson (guitar), Tim Zilar (guitar), Nick Harner (bass) and Ben Dysart (drums). They're all classically trained with several members attending jazz camps together growing up and sharing the stage as Eastern Washington University music students.
After initially struggling to come up with a moniker for their atypical group, the band name eventually came in the form of a tiny plastic baby — not dissimilar to those found in King Cakes during Mardi Gras — gingerly placed upon a clock in the Deer Park Middle School classroom where drummer Dysart is the band and choir director.
The group describes their genre as jazz fusion; McKinley says they hope they're known as a "dance band," wanting to get people movin' and groovin' no matter where they're performing. Being a strictly instrumental band, McKinley says that Time Baby sits on the outskirts of the local music scene, not exactly fitting the mold when it comes to bands you'd expect to see playing live music in a venue or a bar on a Saturday night. They're trying to break down the wall of jazz unapproachability that they know many folks feel exists.
"It's really important to us that we bring something fresh to the scene," McKinley says. "And I think, unfortunately, when you say 'jazz' people get kind of freaked out. Like, they have an idea of what that means before they really listen to us."
The band's song "Space Zaddy" showcases Time Baby's jazz fusion, boasting a stereotypically groovy jazz intro with parallel parts and funky rhythms. But the tune slowly cascades into a guitar-driven rock ballad via Zilar's deft abilities on the electric guitar. Soon after, Brown picks up right where the guitar left off, mimicking a guitar solo on his saxophone and then making it all his own with a chromatic solo that transitions back into the main hook seamlessly.
In most Time Baby songs, each member has the chance for a solo and therefore a chance to make a statement.
"Historically, jazz [has been] made by people who have felt oppression," McKinley says. "But they also wanted to feel freedom and joy, so it's important that we pay homage to that."
A Time Baby show is like a quilt, McKinley says.
"As a band with a ton of originals to choose from, we have the opportunity to really curate a vibe," she says. "We have funk songs, we have more prog-leaning stuff, we have Latin tunes, metal, you name it."
The members use their immense knowledge of music to alter their playing and mix up the sound of the songs depending on the venue they're at or the other bands performing on the bill.
TIME BABY
Instagram: @timebaby_official
Next shows: May 31 at the Big Dipper, June 1 at MAC ArtFest
"We all have the tools to express different feelings through our music," McKinley says, "If we're performing a song and I want it to sound a certain way, the other members do a really good job of picking up on the energy that I'm trying to convey. It could be the volume at which we're playing, the scales or different textures that help songs come across a certain way."
And though performing live is Time Baby's bread and butter, this past February, the band set up shop at J Bones Musicland, Jay Condiotti's dual recording studio and venue space in Chief Garry Park, to begin work on their debut album.
Slated to come out this fall, the record is full of original tunes composed by nearly all of the members of Time Baby. And, just like their live shows, expect it to be full of whimsy, sonic joy and pure funky vibes.
"Jazz has been around for such a long time, so we're not trying to rewrite history," McKinley says. "But, I do think we sort of have a mission to change people's perceptions of what jazz means." ♦
