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    Mug and Brush Sessions present: Birdshack

    Jazz musicians often take inspiration from popular music. Whether it was the hard bop pioneers of the 1950s adopting Gershwin and Berlin, or Miles Davis covering Cyndi Lauper, improvisers lift these catchy gems as frames for exploration.

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    Columbus’ Birdshack have been doing the same for the past 9 years. They’ve reworked classics from metal stalwarts AC/DC as well as the pop-country of John Denver. They’ve even dissected the classic fusion of Weather Report. A recent performance at Brothers Drake included a 15-minute rendition of “Amazing Grace.” The trio, consisting of drummer and leader Tony McClung, bassist Jeff Ciampa and guitarist Joshua Hill, performed the traditional hymn with a reverence and playfulness that is often omitted from traditional jazz.

    The band started as a sound in McClung’s head. The drummer, who along with Ciampa makes up the rhythm section for the Hoodoo Soul Band, was raised on bluegrass, country and rock and roll.

    “I heard all these things coming together in a way that didn’t sound like other fusion,” says McClung. “When I met Jeff, he and I had a very natural chemistry that just clicked.”

    After searching for a like-minded collaborator, the band found Hill. McClung says, “He grew up in the country, listening to much the same music I had, but played like a jazz musician, in a sophisticated, but gutsy way, just like Jeff.”

    For the Mug & Brush Sessions, the band performed the Hank Williams classic, “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and an original jam titled “Give it Back.”

    Need a deeper Birdshack fix? The band plays every Sunday from 11am-2:30pm for brunch at The Crest.

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    Josh Fitzwater
    Josh Fitzwater
    Josh Fitzwater is the director of online marketing and strategy at FWD: Video & Social Branding. FWD: is a digital branding firm specializing in video and social storytelling located in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 2013, FWD: strives to connect a brand to its audience with innovation and sentiment. Learn more about FWD at www.letsgofwd.com.
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