The band’s new album is a mix of funk, jazz, soul, hip-hop and rock that still sounds like “Very Cool People”. There is no shortage of energy, joy of life, catchy riffs and melodies. Their new album consists of 12 compositions, of which only one is instrumental. That also explains the ironic title of the new album “Caution! Contains Words!”.
Ten out of the album tunes were written by the band members themselves, and two are cover songs – “Let the Music Take Your Mind”, a tribute to the legendary R&B group “Kool & the Gang”, & “Going Down Slowly”, a homage to the great late music legend from New Orleans Allen Toussaint, who has inspired & influenced VCP.
Very Cool People: Oskars Ozoliņš – trumpet; Māris Jēkabsons – tenor sax; Laura Rozenberga – trombone. Kristaps Lubovs – baritone sax; Elvijs Grafcovs – guitar; Māris Vitkus – organ, rhodes piano; Valters Sprūdžs – bass; Andris Buiķis- drums, percussion.
The record features many guest appearances: Kristīne Prauliņa – vocals, Evilena Protektore – vocals, Ralfs Eilands – vocals, Maija Sējāne – vocals, MC Edavārdi – vocals, MC ansis – vocals, Hannah Horvath – vocals, Erika Székely – vocals, Andris Kauliņš – moog & synth.
The album is produced by the leader of the band and guitarist Elvijs Grafcovs, co-produced by Valters Sprūdžs. The album is mostly recorded at “Sound Division Studio” in Riga by Ivars Ozols, additional recordings were made in other studios in Latvia and Romania. Mixed & mastered by Jānis Kalve at Labo Ierakstu Studio (Riga, Latvia), except We Should Dance mixed by Jon Evans. Design & artwork by Raitis Kalniņš.
This is bands sixth album so far. In 2009 – self-titled debut, 2012 – Cruising In The Trolley, 2015 – Funkology, 2017 – Heya Some Kind Of Fish!…, 2018 – Snowman’s Express.
In 2019 summer VCP will be on the tour around festivals in Baltic States & Germany: 18th of May “Museum Night” (Liepaja, Latvia), 25th of May “Görlitz Jazz Festival” (Görlitz, Germany), 1st of June “Gaujas Svētki” (Ādaži, Latvia), 6th of July “Bliuzo Naktys”(Varniai, Lithuania), 13th of July “Tintes Svētki” (Valmiera, Latvia), 16th of July “Saulkrasti Jazz” (Saulkrasti, Latvia), 27th of July “Positivus” (Salacgrīva, Latvia), 2nd of August Augustibluus (Haapsalu, Estonia), 3rd of August Summersound (Liepaja, Latvia), 24th of August “Siauliai Jazz” (Siauliai, Lithuania).
