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"Fusion" in the musical sense of jazz and rock combined (with a strong touch of funk, too) - Milwaukee Journal Sentinal

‘Happy Critters’ is so well done; I can’t emphasize that enough. It’s the best indie instrumental record I’ve reviewed in months and is a poignant statement about the status of good instrumental jamming: it’s alive and well. Cornish and Ray are an irresistible match made in heaven. - IndieMunity.com

Not only does this two-man band have the last good remaining band name in the U.S., they create some really interesting fusion/jazz/somewhat experimental music. - The Indie Music Review

Sea of Tranqulity Reviews Nonverbal Behaviors

The (cleverly named) Odd Get Even is a funky jazz-fusion collaboration between Chicago-based keyboardist Bill Cornish and Seattle-based drummer Bill Ray, and Nonverbal Behaviors is the duo’s fifth album. This lively collection features eight songs, which began life as Ray’s improvised drum tracks. Cornish then built arrangements and added musical details. Along the way, this fluid album features guests on guitar (Bruce Williams on “Travels”), trumpet and saxes (Mitch “The Lip” Goldman and Robbert-Jan Zanvoort, respectively, on the vintage Chicago-influenced “Shakti”) and trombone (Victor Fuenmayor on “South Loop Hustle”).

No two songs sound alike, and the duo takes listeners from the smooth funk of opening track “Spark” to the spooky and cinematic “Visionquest” to the groovy “South Loop Hustle” and its Windy City jazz vibe. Lovers of instrumental jazz fusion with flair will dig Nonverbal Behaviors. And for casual fusion fans, the album clocks in at a solid 35 minutes -- long enough to appreciate The Odd Get Even’s musical dexterity without losing interest.

Sea of Tranquility Reviews Oddio

The Odd Get Even is an American fusion duo consisting of Bill Cornish (keyboards, seaboard, voice, assorted noisemakers) and Bill Ray (drums). Guest guitarist Bruce Williams appears on one track. I first became familiar with the band after reviewing their debut self-titled effort released in 2009. I also reviewed their 2014 release Happy Critters. The band recently released their fourth album titled Oddio.

The duo continues their brand of jazz rock and funky sounds, creating another melodic and smooth sounding fusion album. A funky beat underlies the catchy "A Spanish Rose by Any Other Name". The tempo is upbeat with melodic keyboard soloing all over the place. The electric piano chords in "Return to Babylon" have a Steely Dan vibe and guest guitarist Bruce Williams adds lightly hued background guitar giving depth to the soundscape. Keyboard and guitar solos follow suit. "Terminal Velociraptor" boasts a heavy funky groove whereas a lighter touch is displayed on the catchy "Floating in Space" as well as on the lovely "Anthem" with the smooth keyboard solos soaring to new heights. "Red Dragon" ends the disc on a heavier note as the drums and keyboards really get a workout before a delicate and softer touch is displayed half way through.

Fans of melodic fusion with a heavy emphasis on keyboards will probably want to check this out.

IndieMunity Reviews Happy Critters

The Odd Get Even is a collaborative project between Bill Cornish and Bill Ray, two remarkably talented performers. Cornish has made a name for himself in recent years with excellent instrumental records such as 2013's 'Kaleidoscope,' an album that highlighted his keyboard skills accented by a top notch backing band. Ray has been touring as a professional drummer for years; his discography is extensive and includes a Grammy-winning record. On 2014's 'Happy Critters,' the two combined their skills to record an album that's quite funky and fresh.

If you've dabbled at all in Cornish's discography, then 'Happy Critters' won't be entirely foreign to you. It has elements of 'Kaleidoscope,' the album he put out a year prior. With that said, the inclusion of Ray into the mix provides a stark contrast to his previous work. The two combine into a magnificent force of instrumental strength unlike anything I've heard.

If the music that you're writing (or improvising) includes percussion, your recording or performance is only going to be as good as your percussionist. A good drummer makes a world of difference and that element of a solid record is often overlooked. Ray isn't a flashy drummer, but man, he's on fire on this record. Listen to the song 'No Borders' and ignore the prominent electric guitar riffing, synthesizers, and organ. Behind that is an unbelievably fantastic drum track. Every song is like that in its own regard.

While still excellent, Cornish's studio work felt a bit like quality backdrop music to me. It didn't throw itself into the middle of the road to stop me in my tracks. 'Happy Critters' enamors me in that sense, because it absolutely does. That great percussion backing grouped with the zany and funky keyboard performances results in a mesmerizing listening experience. I love it, and in my opinion, that culminates in tracks like 'Ocean Breeze,' my personal favorite on the album.

'Happy Critters' is so well done; I can't emphasize that enough. It's the best indie instrumental record I've reviewed in months and is a poignant statement about the status of good instrumental jamming: it's alive and well. Cornish and Ray are an irresistible match made in heaven.

Sea of Tranquility Reviews Happy Critters

The Odd Get Even is a fusion project of just two musicians; Bill Cornish (keyboards, percussion) and Bill Ray (drums). Cornish has toured with numerous bands and artists including Kansas, Pat Travers, Joan Jett, The Romantics and many others. Ray won a Grammy with his album Risin' with the Blues and has played with many musicians including Ike Turner. Guest musician Mike James adds guitar on the last two tracks.

They released their self-titled debut in 2009 which was followed by Objects in Motion in 2010. Their new album Happy Critters is the subject of this review.

Happy Critters is an amalgamation of fusion, jazz rock and funk filled with great melodies and excellent musicianship. The album's first track "Chill Pill" is a funky jazz rock tune with a Steely Dan vibe and great keyboard work. "Contusion" hits the mark with an excellent fusion inspired guitar solo and trippy keyboards whereas "No Borders" features outstanding organ and a cool synth solo. For a slice of the blues try the sultry "Greasy Spoon" oozing with piano and mind bending keyboards while the duo twist and turn their way through the introspective and jazzy "Stumbling Toward Nirvana", the album's longest track at over ten minutes. Big organ and keyboard fills, excellent guitar work from Mike James and a fusion soundscape that should delight fans of the genre.

Happy Critters is ideally suited for fans of fusion and jazz rock. The melodies, level of musicianship and overall musicality here is hard to deny. An excellent four stars it is.

Sea of Tranqulity Reviews Objects in Motion

The Odd Gets Even is a collaboration of keyboardist Bill Cornish and drummer Bill Ray. Bill Cornish was a member of the band Crystal, and has opened for bands like Kansas, Joan Jett, Pat Travers, and the Romantics. He describes his music as Chill/Jazz/New Age/World Music. Bill Ray has spent years touring with Ike Turner has created an extensive discography of music, including the Grammy winning 'Risin' with the Blues'.

Together they have made a funky, groove oriented jazzy chill album with twelve tracks that are full of soul. The keyboard work and drums are truly inspired and drive the production well. Chris Hale's guest bass is a great addition to the sound, providing depth and the guitar highlights. 'Trance Dance' is an excellent opener getting things off to a fast rhythmic start. The percussion work takes songs like 'Revenge of the Odd' and 'Insomnia' to the top of the class on this album. There are great reminders of some of Steely Dan's instrumental sections running throughout the production making this a must buy for any fan of their sound set to jazzier rhythms. This is great backyard party jazz for the summer. The title track with its blistering guitar solo is one of the highlights, along with 'Noir', 'B-Side Shuffle', 'Into the Wild' and 'Jambalaya'. Heck there are no bad tracks on this album.

They do a great job laying down some groovy jazz that will fill your afternoon or evening full of rhythm.

Jazz 'N Bossa Reviews The Odd Get Even's Debut Album

Review: The Odd Get Even The Odd Get Even is a Funk/Jazz fusion collaboration between keyboardist, composer Bill Cornish and drummer Bill Ray.

The album starts with a funky track, an energetic keyboard playing by Bill Cornish and Christopher Michael Hale playing bass. On Kinetics the keyboard sound like an electric guitar and the music dance groove is reminiscent of the disco era.

On Eccentric Circles the violin sounds on keyboard is backed up with funk rhythms on drums. The track slows down with beautiful piano melodies and then goes back to the violin main theme. The keyboard sound effects on Tibetan Boogaloo are reminiscent of Tibetan Chants in a sort of psychedelic way.

Life of Leisure is a reggae with nice jazz, bluesy keyboard solos by Bill. Attention Deficit brings us back to the Rock/Jazz fusion of the 70's with an Egyptian feel in the melodies. Anthony Sarain on sax plays the main melodies in the soul, bluesy track, Down Home. The xylophone effects on the track On the Run gives the sensation of being on a trip.

Iconoclast is another reggae with more xylophones effects on keyboards. Precipice is a gorgeous solo piano piece that proves Cornish can play slow and sensitive melodies. The last track is Psychlone, another fusion tune with an almost mystical feel.

Sea of Tranquility Reviews The Odd Get Even's Debut Album

The Odd Get Even is a project consisting of Bill Ray (drums) and Bill Cornish (keyboards, percussion). Cornish has opened for the likes of Kansas, Pat Travers, Joan Jett, The Romantics plus many more and has released several solo albums. Ray has toured with the celebrated Ike Turner and has played at the prominent Montreux Jazz Summit in Switzerland. His 2007 album Risin' With The Blues was a recipient of a Grammy Award and he also has many albums credited to his name. The Odd Get Even mix the sounds of jazz, funk and fusion and have created a highly enjoyable album.

The album started out as improvised drum tracks upon which Cornish worked his keyboard magic. He is an excellent player and is able to generate a myriad of sounds both vintage and modern. At times the keyboards really pop reminding me of Fagan's keyboard work with Steely Dan and although the music here is quite a bit different than that band there is a smoothness to the band's sound that makes this album go down nice and easy.

The jazzy opener "Esperanto" features plenty of skillful keyboard work and the funky bass lines of guest musician Christopher Michael Hale. The next track "Kinetics" carries an element of, dare I say it, disco, particularly in the keyboards. It is totally 70s retro but quite endearing never the less. Violin keyboard sounds dominate the melodic smooth jazz of "Eccentric Circles" before the song slows down and jazzy piano noodling emerges out of the pulsating rhythms. "Attention Deficit" is tinged with a subtle Eastern melody and the drumming of Bill Ray is very good. "On the Run" and "Iconoclast" both feature xylophone keyboards with the former having a funky bass groove and the latter a subtle reggae beat. The album ends with "Psychlone" with its spacey intro and fine keyboard display.

The Odd Get Even is a solid album and should appeal to fans of jazz and fusion. I really liked it and I hope you will too.

San Diego City Beat Reviews The Odd Get Even's Debut Album

Remember that episode of Freaks and Geeks when the Neil Peart-obsessed kid experiences the revelatory drumming of Buddy Rich for the first time? While snobs argue about the differences between lo-fi, sh*tgaze and post-whatever, these musical veterans bust out a combination of B-movie sleaze, sexploitation and prog that can awe the most jaded hipster.

San Diego Reader - My Happy Ass

According to drummer Bill Ray, “My friend called and said, ‘Hey, I’m watching this Smithsonian Channel program narrated by Morgan Freeman, and you’re on it!’ I was, like, WTF?” The TV show, Sound Revolution, included a segment on the late Ike Turner for whom Ray drummed for years. “The footage was shot at the [2002] Montreux Jazz Festival,” says Ray, “and it actually included my happy ass playing a drum solo!”

Ray feels Turner’s musical legacy is finally being acknowledged. “I believe that the passing of his physical form has stripped away some of the hostilities people held toward him, and his accomplishments are becoming more known.”

As for Turner’s social legacy, “People don’t realize that Ike was the scapegoat for domestic violence. Public awareness of the issue skyrocketed because of that movie [What’s Love Got to Do with It, portraying Turner as a wife-beater], and it took such a person as Ike to bear that cross. That took fortitude.”

One of Ray’s current projects is billysbeats.com, wherein he posts solo drum tracks and invites others to download and create their own songs around his beats, free of charge. “Neil MacPherson has been creating melodies and lines to some tracks,” says Ray. “Smooth-jazz guy Bill Cornish turned in a tune, and Dog Plays Bass from craigslist sent one along. A guy in Austria sent back a death-metal version to one of my tracks. I’m waiting for the gangsta rappers to start sending me squished, remixed, and tripped-out versions.”

He gives away the drum tracks free, though he notes, “If someone were to start making money off something with my tracks, I’d hope that karma would allow them to remember that I have a kid and he’s growing constantly.

“There’s no way anyone can keep a lid on digital media anymore. You might as well go in prepared to give it away and hope that somehow good things come around.”

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Email: theoddgeteven@gmail.com

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