SiennaBlu
Finding our own personal voice.
Corey, Clendell, Jamie, Jordan and Keith in 2012
Organized Chaos
OK, What would you get if you gathered five professional musicians chosen at random, rounded off the edges and the generations to the nearest era so they fit into a studio together nicely, and left them to their muse with no one cracking the whip (or whipping out the crack). Well, normally not a hell of a lot. But SiennaBlu needs no rule to be the exception. Despite their diverse derivations and mish-mash of musical proclivities this hard-working cadre of five coalesce synergistically to concoct a distinctive brew that tastes great with less filling.
After pouring a solid foundation with the contagiously crisp kick of their all-school rhythm section consisting of right-coast jazz and funk traps master James Miller, who raised eyebrows at 17 as the token white boy in the nightclubs of Philly, and the uncommonly funky, pocket-popping bass lines of Clendell Rundles, we then begin layering. Millers own prodigy/progeny Corey Miller, who careened into prominence like he was shot out of a cannon, weaves a richly orchestral lead guitar counterpoint seamlessly with Dad's tight back beat. Combine all that with garage-band knee-skinner turned session-savvy rhythm guitarist, Jordan Ronsonette, one who brought his own fresh compositional impetus to the already edgy harmonic concept of the amalgamation. And those are just the instrumental accomplices.
With all that musicianship polished, tuned and the new motor purring, Sienna Blue ices the cake with the soul-stirring vocal twang and intelligent yet balls-out lyrics of lead vocalist, Keith Luke. Imagine Rob Thomas, Springstein, and both Van and Jim Morrison Frankenstiened together (sans electrodes), listen to that guy in your head for a minute, then you’ll be ready for Keith Luke. He leads the band with the chutzpah of a rock legend and the sensitivity of a southern sooth- saying sojourner. But above and beyond all the personal shedding, the collective decades of experience and belt notches, even beyond the seemingly endless wellspring of creative ideas they bring to each song, is that intangible spark that’s present in every successful enterprise, musical or otherwise: they love what they’re doing. Each member has found his own personal voice and finds an avenue for expressing that voice in SiennaBlu. Yet it all jigsaws together into a relaxed yet cohesive, grounded yet uplifting and unmistakably original sound, something that’s hard to come by even when they’re all hatched from the same nest. It’s their skill and confidence as individuals, mutual respect, and work ethic that yields this kind of rapport and allows them to find the buoyant balance between the genre’s, generations and genetics they span. I’d recommend this band to anyone, of any age or musical inclination, because SiennaBlu Isn’t just a successful modern rock band, it’s just great music. -Ray Cabarga
http://siennablu.com
VIDEO
Or Listen on SoundCloud…
Here’s a bunch of garage recordings of original music we concocted in a creative binge, 2006-2014.