Collective shows off grooves in Detroit

For those who don't know, Groove Collective is a 10-piece band that combines many different styles of music. The band then takes these influences and puts them into a highly experimental sound that features many solos and much improvisation. The Collective grooved into Detroit on Thursday night and experimented before a nearly sold out crowd at the Majestic. The band put on a stellar two-set performance that seemed to capture the spirit of its music.

In a recent interview, bassist John Maron commented, "Our music combines elements of jazz, funk and Latin music and modern dance music, and hip-hop. So we're commonly described as acid jazz."

Such a wide variety of sounds definitely has something to do with the band's widespread appeal. Since forming in the early '90s, this New York based-band has taken its act across both Europe, Asia and the U.S. Groove Collective is currently promoti

Groove Collective kicked out its extensive arsenal of jams on Thursday.

ng its second album "We the People."

Even though the band has two albums to its credit, the main element of its music is its live show. Much like bands such as the Grateful Dead and Phish, it prides itself on keeping the show spontaneous on a nightly basis. "This group is all about creativity," said Maron, "its all about playing what you're feeling at the moment. What I think is the strongest of point of our show is the interaction between musicians, the places we can get to by accident and by listening to each other."

The first set featured many old-style jazz and mambo tunes. It seemed as if the band were trying to get in tune with the reactions of the crowd. What was also shown in the first set was the band's ability to rapidly change from one style of music to another: One tune would be a long drawn-out jazz piece, the next a Tito Puente-style mambo, then the band would kick into a hip-hop jam with Clay's rhymes, which fired up the crowd.

The second set varied from the first in that the band seemed to have a more distinctive group of songs as opposed to the extended grooves. This combination of sounds produced a melody of its own, which seemed to captivate the crowd.

What was most fascinating about Groove Collective's show was the band's ability to jam. It kept the sound fresh as the show kept extending.

Overall, it was a solid performance by a band of truly seasoned musicians. But what seemed to sum up the evening were John Maron's words: "It's always just been about being on stage, and playing and trying to make some great music."

09-30-97