Soko
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Soko | |
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Origin | Charlottesville, Virginia, USA |
Genre(s) | Jazz fusion. |
Years active | 1990–present |
Label(s) | Breezeway |
Website | sokoband.com |
Members | |
Michael Sokolowski Houston Ross |
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Former members | |
John Gilmore (1990–1997) |
Soko is a jazz fusion duo, featuring pianist Michael Sokolowski and bassist Houston Ross. The group formed as a trio in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991, with Sokolowski, Ross, and drummer John Gilmore. The group performed live for several years, then released their first studio album, In November Sunlight, in 1996. The album received notably high record sales for an instrumental album, mainly due to its guest appearance by members of the Dave Matthews Band—Dave Matthews, LeRoi Moore, and Tim Reynolds.
In 1997, Gilmore left the group, however Sokolowski and Ross remained close and continued performing together. The duo began working on their second album, Two, in 2000, which featured writing, arranging, and singing contributions by Ross, whereas the previous album primarily contributions strictly from Sokolowski. The album took almost five years to complete, and was not released until 2005, however the album featured many more guest performers than the previous album, including former band member John Gilmore.