Sensational Canadian Soul-Funk Collective, The Commotions, have just released their third studio album, Volume III
Canadian Soul-Funk collective, The Commotions, features some of Canada’s top Soul & Jazz musicians. Their musical director and saxophonist, Brian Asselin, is a former member of Motown’s Funk Brothers – the backing band for almost all of Motown’s recordings. They’ve just released their latest album, “Volume III” – a high-energy dose of all original, Motown-to-Disco era musical mastery, shimmering with the electric power of real instruments.
Their new single and video, “Where Does The Love Go”, is out now. The Chicago-style ballad was arranged by legendary Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald collaborator, Mark Ferguson. The 80’s era tune begins with an enveloping crystalline piano and the stunning vocals of Jeff Rogers that builds into a stunning, full-bodied, emotive track about realizing a romantic relationship has changed.Â
Profoundly timeless yet remarkably timely, The Commotions’ third album, Volume III catapults their already extraordinary sound to new heights as they dive deeper into their creativity than ever before. As lifelong students of music, the already expert group of musicians challenged themselves to write differently, play increasingly challenging notes in unison, and collaborate on all areas of their music. With the support of legendary Soul and Funk masterminds Dave Eskridge (Tower of Power), Philip Lassiter (Prince, Jill Scott, Kirk Franklin), and Mark Ferguson (Ella Fitzgerald, Holly Cole), among numerous others, The Commotions treated the creation of Volume III as a lesson, remarkably enhancing their sound, and breaking away from their own creative conventions. Vibrant, versatile, and bursting with unbelievable music, The Commotions link the sounds of yesterday and today with unparalleled attention to detail, musical mastery, and a continued willingness to learn. A musical journey for both the band and listener, Volume III places The Commotions firmly in their element, with expansive songs about romance, fun, and the need to come together.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hello everyone, my name is Brian Asselin and I am the musical director of the 12-piece Soul group The Commotions. I am the saxophonist, main arranger, and main songwriter for the band. We have released 3 albums with our newest, Volume III, which was just released on Friday, October 20th, 2023. The band features 3 vocalists, a full rhythm section, and a 5-piece horn section.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
Our newest record, entitled Volume III, was released on October 20th 2023. This record honestly means so much to us because it was 6 years in the making. Since our Volume II release, we started working on Volume III right away and for this record, we pulled out all the stops. You can hear the core 12-piece band along with 17 other musicians including an amazing string ensemble and some very special guests including Augie Bello and Sam Greenfield. We also collaborated behind the scenes with some fantastic arrangers including Mark Ferguson (Holly Cole), Dave Eskridge (Tower of Power), Philip Lassiter (Prince), and Michael B. Nelson (Cory Wong, Prince). You can hear songs co-written by myself and my other amazing writers including Jeff Rogers, Rebecca Noelle, Alex Mastronardi, Matt Chaffey, North Easton, Mackenzie DiMillo, David Gaw, and Ron Weiss.
Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to tell us about?
We will be having our album launch party at The Bronson Music Theatre on Saturday, January 20th 2024. This will be an evening you don’t want to miss. We are extremely pumped because not only will you get a chance to hear the 12-piece in action but we have The Lionyls on the bill.
Here is the link for tickets – https://bronsoncentremusictheatre.com/events/event/the-commotions-album-release-party/
If given the chance, which Canadian artist would you love to work with in the future?
This is a fantastic question – one of my biggest influences in writing this record was David Foster and his work with Michael Bublé and Chicago. David’s attention to detail and his flawless arrangements are something I strive for every time I start writing for the band.
What’s your goal for 2024?
I am hoping that we can get the band on stage at some of Ontario’s biggest festivals this summer 2024. We also have been working hard at releasing some new video content as well as some new tunes for our Volume IV record. I also have been wanting to start writing a Christmas record so I am hoping we might be able to do a lot in 2024.
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