Level Up by Brian Felix

Former OM Trio keyboardist Brian Felix breaks a two-decade recording silence with Level Up, a dynamic organ jazz double-LP that is a stylistic tour de force. This ambitious release features twelve original compositions by Felix, spanning genres from straight-ahead jazz to funk, reggae, samba, surf rock, and gospel. Felix leads his working trio — Tim Fischer on guitar and Evan Martin on drums — whose telepathic interplay and extraordinary musicianship bring his diverse body of work to life.

The compositions reflect Felix’s deep roots as a jazz organist and pianist while showcasing his diverse performance history and expertise. Of the title track, “Level Up,” Felix says, “It sounds like a cross between Daft Punk and Medeski, Martin & Wood.” The trio’s straight-ahead jazz prowess shines on the moody “Gathering,” the intricate “Time for Change,” the swing/samba hybrid “Lip Service,” and the bluesy “Joey & Larry,” the latter dedicated to organ greats Joey DeFrancesco and Larry Young. “Zen Circles” stands out as the album’s “jammiest” track, with intricate interplay and an epic guitar solo by Fischer. The funk runs deep in “Hippopotamus,” a revival of an OM Trio classic, and “W 18th Strut,” underpinned by a groove reminiscent of the Meters’ New Orleans swagger. The album’s more pensive side is reflected in “Ashkenazi Theme” as well as “Coming Home,” a folk-gospel track that brings the album to a satisfying close.

Level Up was recorded August 12–14, 2024, at Drop of Sun Studios, the celebrated Asheville, NC, recording space that has become a hotspot for artists across many genres over the past decade. The album is available as a double LP set, CD, on streaming platforms, and for digital download.

The twenty-two year span between OM Trio’s final album (Globalpositioningrecord, 2003) and Level Up is a long time, but some will argue it was worth the wait: with this ambitious release, Felix reaffirms his place as a modern innovator in organ jazz, blending tradition with stylistic adventurousness and deep sense of groove.

Slimtrim Records 2502 (2LP, CD, streaming, download)

A jazz organist, pianist, composer, educator, and author, Brian Felix has performed at notable venues and festivals, including the Fillmore Auditorium and Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, the Bowery Ballroom and Mercury Lounge in NYC, and the Aberdeen Jazz Festival in Aberdeen, Scotland. He is a professor of music at UNC Asheville in Asheville, NC, USA.