Help My Brother Eat!

Hey all,

My brother is hungry!

His new CD is out and it's really very good music...

If you like guitar oriented Jazz Rock Fusion then read on...........

From Knoxville, TN, the Mitch Rutman Group is a 5-piece Jazz - Rock Fusion band featuring some of the areas finest players. The individual talents of the band members are highlighted throughout an evening of high energy instrumental music rooted in contemporary jazz, but hinting at Latin, Reggae, Blues, and Funk grooves. Guitarist and Composer Mitch Rutman is a Berklee College of Music graduate with extensive live and studio performances to his credit. A frequent guest guitarist with The Dave Matthews Band (check out DMBs Live In Chicago CD) - Mitch Rutman has also sat in with members of Maroon 5, John Mayers band, and DJ Logic. Recently Mitch Rutman was even seen at an impromptu blues jam backstage with Duran Duran. A fan of well crafted Popular music, Mitch Rutman composes his all-instrumental jazz with a cohesive and melodic approach, making for memorable, even sing-able tunes. On drums, Chad Melton is the driving force of energy behind the Mitch Rutman Group. Chad Meltons sensitivity toward different musical genres seamlessly allows him to play an up-tempo composition with thunderous excitement one minute, and then delicately fill the spaces of a soulful Ballad the next. A student of Jeff Sipe, (Aquarium Rescue Unit), Chester Thompson, (Frank Zappa), and also of premier tabla master Pandit Charin Jit Chacur Lal, Chad Melton continues to study as well as teach a wide variety of drum and percussion techniques. Chad Melton is co-founder of The Modern Tong Orchestra (featuring Jeff Sipe), a frequent guest with nationally renowned Jazz pianist Donald Brown, and a first call drummer for the southeasts favorite Reggae outfit, Natti Love Joy. Keyboardist Ben Maney is perhaps one of the most sought after musicians in Knoxville, TN as well as the surrounding area. His impeccable timing and his ability to solo beyond the stratosphere is an awe inspiring and jaw dropping experience to behold. Ben Maneys delivery of Jazz, Latin, Blues and Funk styles make him an integral part of the harmonic texture of the band. From his solo piano gigs to his permanent seat in The MacDaddies, Knoxvilles top Blues band, Ben Maney continues to reinvent his piano technique often resulting in new and unusual exploratory projects. No matter the style, fans of Ben Maney will go to great lengths to find out where hes playing next. Rounding out the Mitch Rutman Group on bass is Vince Ilagan who consistently sets fire to everything he plays. A graduate of The University of Tennessees School of Music and a Bass Performance Instructor at Lee University, Vince Ilagan maintains the pulse of the band with unmatched precision. Possessing an extraordinary sense of timing and rock-solid articulation, Vince Ilagan clearly understands the composition at hand, making his bass playing simply, as good as it gets. Equally as proficient in traditional jazz as he is in Funk, Blues, or even Hip-Hop, Vince Ilagan sets the groove, playing both an exciting and essential role in the accessibility of the Mitch Rutman Group. Most recently, The Mitch Rutman Group joined forces with multi-percussionist Jon Whitlock. The addition is clearly complimentary of the bands original sound, adding exciting textures and elements of world music. Jon Whitlock has extensive touring experience as well as being a teacher and co-author of The Rudimental Cookbook, a study in drum technique.

Whether its an intimate Jazz club, festival setting, or an opening spot for the likes of John Scofield, the Mitch Rutman Group continues to find new venues, new audiences and new ways to deliver a night of great music.

See Mitch playing the Maker live in Chicago with the Dave Matthews Band:

See Mitch playing live at Bonnaroo with Jeff Coffin from Bela Fleck and the Flectones: