County Road X

There are many roads in America. Whether tangled in a settled New England forest, sliced through a vast cornfield of Nebraska, or edging the inspiring California coastline, the county roads network unites the great diversity of America's landscapes. County Road X, the band, is an aural depiction of a creative thread that unifies the elements of American culture. Drawing on influences of jazz, rock, folk, and experimental music, one thing for certain: County Road X is an American band. The road began in Boulder, Colorado in 2001 as five musicians began working on a sound that fuses the American music chronicle. At their core an acoustic piano trio signifies the jazz tradition. A pedal steel guitar roots the sound deep in the soil of familiarity while a cello sings simple melodies inside the fabric of sharp dissonance and textured phrasing. Brass and reeds deliver energetic punches of rich harmony within the provocative compositions. County Road X houses the complexities of jazz with the poise of folk and country, creating a sound that has earned the label "trailer park jazz." In 2003, County Road X expanded their sound to include a horn section and a variety of electronic soundscapes. The group now boasts an educated and experienced line-up contributing to the sophistication and maturity of their refined sound. Band members are current and former members of several successful outfits including Fat Mama, Slim Cessna's Auto Club, Sherefe, Akemi Iwaswe and Tokyo Tribe, Devotchka, Cabaret Diosa, and the Motet. The band has had the honor of sharing the stage with Jerry Douglas, Bill Frisell, Christian McBride, Ron Miles, Sex Mob, Calexico, Critters Buggin, and Lake Trout. While applying post-modern concepts to the preservation of classic American art, County Road X provides a refreshingly human result. The Road continued last February when County Road X traveled to Tucson, Arizona to record their second album titled From Seed to Stone. Listening to From Seed to Stone is like watching a Stanley Kubrick/Sergio Leone double feature with an electric Miles Davis soundtrack. The record was released in September of 2004 to rave reviews.