PSA

PSA

PSA Records

Pritesh Waila, guitar; Sharik Hasan, organ/keyboards/synthesizers; Avery Logan, drums.

The title of this album “PSA” is the group name, derived from the first names of each musician.  Using the first initial of each member’s name, Pritesh, Sharik, and Avery equals PSA.  This is an organ trio that swings hard and was established in Boston, Massachusetts.  They are experimenting with soundscapes and electronic formatting, yet still sound rooted in the soulful jazz organ days of Jimmy Smith and Brother Jack McDuff.

“We’ve taken the traditional organ trio format and infused it with synth sounds and various electronic elements, drawing inspiration from a diverse range of genres, including jazz, gospel, and modern groove music. This creative synthesis results in an exciting and fresh musical experience,” guitarist Pritesh Waila recently explained during an interview on the podcast,  “CanvasRebel.”

They open with “Circle Around,” one of seven songs that the trio has composed together.

Initially, during the first eight bars of music, I thought this group was rock based.  Their second tune, “Cliff Dunes” is a more traditional organ trio. It reminds me of the historic organ jazz groups that were so popular in the 1970s and 80s.  During this original song, drummer Avery Logan smacks the funk rhythm into place with a vengeance.  Pritish Walia is an awesome guitarist and adds his improvised solo to the mix, riding atop Logan’ s masterful rhythm accelerant. This tune is an unexpected blend of organ funk and rock band blues.  On a song called “Don’t Look Down” they venture onto a more contemporary, smooth jazz path, once again propelled by Logan’s expressive drums.  Sharik Hassan lays down a powerful bass line on the organ and when it’s time, he steps dynamically into the spotlight and shows how expert he is on his instrument.  Hassan makes the organ dance, his fingers racing across the keys and his bass line solidifying his improvisational solo.

A tune called “Dogwood” uses electronics to change the groove and transform the music into a funk ballad.  You hear their fusion influences on a tune called “Onward.” This trio is full of surprises and is pushing the boundaries of organ jazz into multiple disciplines and genres. That ingenuity makes PSA stand out, not only as relevant and talented, but as innovators. This album is a bold declaration of intent to modernize and contemporize the organ trio, while giving a respectful nod to the organ’s jazz roots.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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