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The Juan Prophet Organization will play cuts from their latest album, "The Carrot and The Stick," at The Boro Bar and Grill on Friday, Feb. 17, along with Watermeloncholy Flower and The States.
When it comes to classifying the Juan Prophet Organization's music, Kris White, guitarist and vocalist, admitted it could run from one end of the spectrum to the other while covering everything in between.
"A lot of people keep giving us this Captain Beefheart [and] Frank Zappa crap," Jeff Holt, bassist and vocalist, said. "How do you classify Frank Zappa? What kind of music does Frank Zappa play? Anything he wants!"
Juan Prophet Organization's avant-garde sound comes from the musical diversity of its six-member, self-described family. According to Holt, the band changes its lineup throughout the album and shows, depending on what instrument each person plays on the song. Holt also plays accordion, guitar and glockenspiel for the band.
White utilizes multiple instruments as well, switching to bass, trumpet or percussion. White's sister, Grayson, plays violin, viola, and piano or sings while David Jellema adds Dixieland jazz clarinet and coronet to the mix. Matt Crisafi is the full-time drummer but he is sometimes on percussion or glockenspiel also! Clay Franklin, the long-distance member, provides bass and keyboards on the album and during Juan Prophet's tours.
The band originally met in North Louisiana in the late 1990s. Holt was playing in a Baton Rouge band, while White and Josh Foreman, one of the original members, attended college.
"We kinda bumped into each other over there," White said. "My sister and I came here to finish up school and Jeff and Josh came up because they knew people in Tennessee." The Juan Prophet Organization began to form in late 1999, thanks to Holt's power of persuasion. Jellema and Crisafi were invited to play on the 2002 album and, "before they knew it," became full-time members of the band, according to Holt.
Over a meal of homemade Louisiana shrimp gumbo, Holt and White named artists who influence each member. While White's influences "cover the gamut," clarinet player Jellema listens to 1920-1950s jazz and cultural music. Grayson White grew up with U2; Holt named a former band mate as an influence on his bass playing.
"I played in a band with Jeff Brown for 5 or 6 years," Holt said. "He was originally a drummer, but he began playing bass and was just phenomenal. I always think, 'What would Jeff Brown do in this situation?'"
Classical music is another influence. Most of the band was involved in band classes or piano lessons during their childhood and teenage years. White also cited Douglas Adams, author of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and his "way of storytelling" as an influence.
Juan Prophet Organization has performed with many acts, including Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, The Whole Fantastic World and Polemic. In January, they traveled to Asheville, NC., to play at the Fringe Festival, where members of the Blue Moves modern dance troupe performed to the band's set.
White said their latest record, The Carrot and The Stick, was a "massive project" and their most high quality and best sounding recordings to date. Shawn Haney from Performer magazine described it as "a feast to be devoured and savored for the ages." Holt said although good things have come their way, he believes the really big milestones for the Juan Prophet Organization are yet to come.
"We're looking for people who can eat fire," Holt said. "People who can juggle, ladies who can choreograph, circus, burlesque-type show people. We want to put on a more theatrical performance."
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