Wild Card

Description

WildCard by Jack Magnet Science is a confluence of Jakob Magnssons fascinating life that spans five decades of work as a prolific musician, TV & film producer, environmental activist, and even a stint as the cultural attach of the Icelandic embassy in London. After co-founding the prolific Icelandic band Stumenn in high school, Magnsson became enamored with the iconic fusion band Weather Report and the formative Bitches Brew (Miles Davis) sessions that spawned the band. Fast forward to present times, Magnsson corralled some of his former former Stumenn collaborators as well as favorite modern LA-based musicians to embark on a session at Floki Studios, a remote studio in Northern Iceland. The premise was simple: lets play and see what happens.

WildCard is the first taste of whats to come on the album Future Forecast, a double entendre nodding to the bands admiration for Weather Report and Magnssons fascinating environmental work background. The track features Weather Report drummer Peter Erskine, revered fusion bassist Matthew Garrison, prominent Icelandic vocalists Ragga on lead and Disa on background, and fellow Stumenn alums Eythor Gunnarsson (keyboards), Siggi Baldursson (percussion), Phil Doyle (saxophone), and Einar Scheving (percussion). Formed out of an initial groove of Garrisons sauntering bass line and Erskines effortlessly commanding drums joined by percussionists Baldursson and Scheving, Magnusson and Doyle could remain laid back and insert impactful melodic ideas as they organically served the music. The impact the Icelandic and American musicians had on one another instilled a mutual sense of admiration as Erskine remarked on how tasteful icelandic keyboardists played and sang Raggas praising remarking on how her phrasing reminded him of Wayne Shorter and that it was the most fruitful experience he had ever had working with a female vocalist.