“New Jetz touch the fringe of the pop spectrum, proving there is a place in pop music for originality, virtuosity, and intelligence, as well as spirit.”
The early January air is biting cold in Dallas, but the sub-freezing temperatures cannot still the nervous energy being exuded by Lee Ann Zimmers Cameron, shaggy-haired singer-composer for New Jetz. In a few minutes, she will re-enter the recording studio at Crystal Clear Sound and sing the frenetic vocal track to her own “Make Me Crazy”, an energetic rocker appearing not the band’s then forthcoming debut album. But as she mentally readies herself for the task, she take time to assess what fortunes lie ahead.
“Putting ourselves in a positive frame of mind, I think we stand a really good chance,” she said. “Who knows the realm of possibilities of what we can do? Several of us in the band are megalomaniacs, and that always tends to give a chance of really doing something big.”
That pretty much sums up the current state of New Jetz, a delightfully iconoclastic – albeit unknown – band from Denton, TX. Just a year old and on the verge of breaking their first release, the entire group is brimming with enthusiasm and deserved confidence as they hit the mark for their second year.
If the future looks bright to New Jetz – and it should – it may be due partly to the seemingly endless quandary the band found itself in last year. As Kendall Marsh, the group’s principle composer and lead guitarist, puts it, “What we’re headed for is hard to say, but it seems that things can only get better.” Indeed, the band dealt with major personnel changes, precious little publicity, and criminally few gigs, despite being one of the most musically accomplished and lyrically arresting ensembles in North Texas. But this is ancient history now, as band members are quick to point out.
“This is the second wave of New Jetz,” says drummer Chuck Norcom. “The first was was just raw New Jetz, trying to see what the music will do to people. That was just our first year; it takes a long time and you gotta just keep pluggin’.”
If that’s the case, only a disease rendering Marsh, Cameron, and rhythm guitarist Brian Mullin incapable of writing will stop New Jetz. Musically, New Jetz touch the fringe of the pop spectrum, proving there is a place in indie music for originality, virtuosity, and intelligence, as well as spirit.
New Jetz’ thoughtfully conceived and well-crafted tunes are liberally spiced with reggae, R&B, jazz inflections and touches of psychedelia. This band is no one-trick pony: compare if you will, “Secret”, a fervent power popper, to “Jet Lag”, a spritely instrumental, to “Privilege”, a subtle, captivating tune, to the frantic “Reflections”. Cameron’s “Expressed Yourself” appears to have the best shot at airplay, with its pulsing reggae-funk beat and quaking vocals.
Key to the band’s eclectic sound is the diversity of styles and influences brought by each of its members. Marsh has a degree is classical guitar. His teachers must cringe when they hear his wonderfully distorted solos or his feedback duet with Mullin. Norcom grew up listening to Count Basie, Miles Davis, and Benny Goodman, and came to Denton with the intention of joining a big-band jazz group. Jeff Weimer’s bass playing is full and rich, and keyboardist “Natty” Jim Combs adds yet another dimension to the already multi-faceted band.
“We can do so many things, it just takes us a while to figure out the right way to do something,” Marsh states matter-of-factly. “Our only restriction is our imagination.”
What kind of audience will fully appreciate all their many talents? Cameron herself is divided on just what kind of recognition she wants for the band. “Cult fame on a massive level,” she says, laughing instantly at the ambiguity of her statement. “Who knows? Maybe New Jetz will be the band people will look to express their dreams.”
