Fundamental Forces, Rik Wright’s innovative group of progressive jazz musicians, is known for its genre-bending performances. They can be heard playing rock, world beat, and even a little bit of jam band. Their music is a blend of forward-thinking arrangements and a core groove that everyone can dance to. This has helped them reach #1 on the CMJ Jazz charts. Wright is an exceptional musical chameleon, adapting to many influences. The sound of Wright’s voice is unique because it has a strong foundation in jazz and a solid rock structure. Wright grew up alongside Jim Hall and Jeff Beck, so he is a part of a generation that built bridges between different genres. After sustaining an injury that prevented him from performing in 2008, Wright reevaluated his craft, and for the first time in his decades-long career, started making music for himself. He knew that he would need to make music on his own terms if he ever wanted to return to the game. This paradigm shift resulted in Rik Wright’s Fundamental forces being formed in 2011. They became the main stage for their leader’s compositions. They are a rare mix of jazz-oriented freedoms with rock band rigor. Their music is more than the mere fusions that such a description implies. Wright’s compositional voice was engraved across a songbook full of strong themes and improvisations over the next two-years, creating an organic, groove-oriented sound. The seeds for their 2013 debut album Blue were thus sown. Fundamental to the band’s music are also the driving forces. Red, the band’s 2014 album, brought new appreciation to their music. Red gave the Fundamental Forces universe a deeper feel and texture. The album’s #1 position on the CMJ jazz charts was a testament to Wright’s vision. Green was released in 2015. Green reached the Top 10 again, peaking at #3. The group reached the Top 10 for the third time with the release in 2016 of Subtle Energy, a collection featuring live tracks. Rik Wright’s Fundamental Forces have placed four full-length recordings in the CMJ Jazz Radio Top 40 charts. Three of these were in the Top 10, while one album was in the Top 10 on the Roots Music Jazz Album Chart. In addition, two JazzWeek records were on the JazzWeek charts for four years consecutively. Visit www.rikwright.com
