Without Until - The Future is Back   by Jeff Reid

Over thirty years ago, the original Mahavishnu Orchestra was making big waves in the music world. What made this so unusual was that their material was the antithesis of pop music. The band fused the improvisational aspects of jazz with the edginess of rock and created a sound that was new and innovative.  The music was full of influences from around the world. Characterized by intricate, complicated melodies and combined with sudden rhythm changes, the style was unprecedented and years ahead of its time.

Local jazz fusion band Without Until with Scott Quinn on guitar and Lee Venters on drums and percussion is not unlike the trend setting Mahavishnu Orchestra. Over the last few years, they have escaped being categorized by local music critics and fans, and yet they have developed a large following by playing their music with an energy and passion that comes only from their hearts. Without Until blends upbeat genres of serene, reflective tunes with a strong sense of improvisation.   And it’s intended to be that way - creative and spontaneous. “It is structured music lacking structure,” explains Quinn. “It’s music that intends to inspire and develop its own life as we perform.”

With a name that sounds like an answer to a Zen koan (see sidebar), Without Until is as spiritual as they are talented.  “When your inner voice is silent you can come to experience the world directly without it being filtered through the veil of language,” explains the Zen masters.  The Quinn and Venters approach toward music is similar. To quiet their surroundings so as not to become snared by the limitations and contradictions of the world, they attempt to create a place where they and their audience can experience the moment of true musical expression.  But it does take an audience and each band member to achieve this dialogue. “It’s like if a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound,” Quinn says with a smile. “When we play, we always try to maintain an interest in and a connection to our audience as we express any idea or form. The chemistry is quite invigorating.”

So with this unique “chemistry”, it was only natural that the duo attempt to capture that energy on a recording. “We had been performing for sometime,” states Venters. “Scott and I wanted to record some original tunes. So we started laying down some basic tracks and realized that the compositions were not complete. So we started with basic forms to complete arrangements.” Tracking with L. J. Johnson, Quinn admits he went into the project “very naïve”. “I really thought Lee and I could go into the studio with John White on bass, and lay down drums, bass and guitar. I would then go back, overdub some solos and we would be done.” But what started out as a side recording project turned into “Sgt. Pepper” and in May 2008, three years later, the CD was finally completed at Audio Genesis with Tommy Brothers.

Admitting that the CD really could not have happened without the local musicians that played on and supported the project, Quinn and Venters are extremely thankful. “We thought it would be great to offer this project to Wilmington’s area musicians as a statement of respect and dedication,” states Venters.  From local blues legend Charlie Lucas on the hip hop-inspired “Do What?”, to flamingo guitarist Paco Strickland performing on “Morning Dance Suite”, the CD credits read like a local musician who’s who. “Meeting and working with all these people was a special treat for me,” adds Quinn.

For many of us, life is synonymous with music. Music provides an opportunity to express ourselves in ways that can be impossible with words.  Thirty years ago, jazz fusion began out of this need for expression, not only because musicians had exhausted resources of the conventional tonality of the day, but because they were caught up in the new freedoms and spirit of the times.  The integration, even though it seemed incomprehensible to many listeners, was a natural one for both jazz and rock musicians because they all shared the same musical roots. Quinn and Venters understand this - perhaps more than most realize. It’s like an ancient Zen koan – you have to know where you have come from before you know where you are going. As simple as this may seem, it is a difficult concept to understand and yet an essential element for any artist or person to absorb to be vital in the modern world. The future is back and it’s now……Without Until.