Water Seed

By Amena Brown

Photo by Dean Hesse

Gumbo starts off simple enough: begin with a little flour and oil to create a strong roux; throw a few choice ingredients into the mix, each with their own strength and flavor, and you may create something that will dance a mean two-step on your taste buds.

New Orleans-bred band Water Seed can tell a tale or two about gumbo. Founded by three New Orleans-born musicians (founder and drummer Lou Hill, pianist J Sharp, and bass player Marius Tilton), Water Seed has been adding flavor to their blend of soul, jazz and funk music since they found the inspiration for the band’s name.

“We wanted the music to shape the name, not the name to shape the music,” says Hill. “Water represents knowledge and the seed represents growth. In the band, any new piece of knowledge we get we are always challenging ourselves to grow from it. We’re always trying to grow.”

Water Seed grew roots in New Orleans, performing regularly at the French Quarter’s Cafe Brazil. Hurricane Katrina and the city’s impending evacuation found Tilton, Hill, and Sharp settling in Atlanta, navigating and networking in the city’s music scene.

“When we introduced ourselves as New Orleans musicians we had instant credibility, which was a blessing to us,” says Sharp. “All we had to was back it up.”

Now calling Atlanta home, the band has added vocalist Ryan Johnson and classically-trained flautist Cenise Stinson. Stinson brings expertise on an instrument that is rarely found in a jazz soul band and Johnson, who performed in The Atlanta Opera‘s Aida, adds a rich, pure vocal to the band’s already fluid sound.

“I’m fairly new to the style of music that we do. Opera used to be my thing,” says Johnson. “As far as I can see, Atlanta is really growing in its music scene and it has a lot of opportunity. Sometimes, you just have to knock down the walls to get there.”

“I’ve lived in L.A. and D.C. for the most part. Coming from California originally, I dealt more with the classical scene and concert music in general, says Stinson. “In coming to Atlanta, it’s kind of a melting pot for both coasts. You’re able to see the classical side, but you’re starting to see things come from different areas. Since I’ve been in Water Seed, I’ve definitely been learning a lot.”

“If we add a kazoo player, that kazoo player is going to change the direction of the band,” says Hill. “Whether we hire somebody or somebody wants to come into the band, we add that person because there’s something independently they’ve been doing that we like and we’d like to see it infused.”

Each member of Water Seed brings the roux of their origin to create a mix that any audience can feel by the first note. Atlanta has added its own flavorful impression on Water Seed’s music and creative process.

“God moves in the way he chooses to move,” says Hill. “I did not pick Atlanta. God has this band here right now for a reason and that’s not just lip service. We have truly been blessed in the amount of attention and momentum we’ve gained and we respect the people that have been here for years, making it easier for us to kind of stand on their shoulders to get where we need to get.”

Water Seed has had time to grow and learn and with their new album Wonder Love, the band hopes to offer their listeners a taste of what they’ve been brewing for years. With Wonder Love, Water Seed hopes to create a story, not just about falling in love, but the impact of love as a movement. Like any good gumbo that has had its fair share of simmering, Water Seed’s music is ripe for the listening.

“We just take the influences we have and put it all in the pot and see what we get. Lots of bands take their influences from different places and create a fusion,” says Sharp. “Just like you don’t eat anybody’s potato salad; it’s all got the same stuff in it, but it’s about that certain balance and this is the balance that we have. Maybe this is a potato salad they can eat.”

www.myspace.com/waterseed