“There’s so much reason, and even desperation at times, for why we’re here and why we gather,” said Emma Blau, one-twelfth of the jazz, soul, and R&B collective Family Junket.
The mega group (comprised of band members Blau, Hasani Cannon, Rahila Coats, Scott Daniel, Carmani Edwards, Willfred Farquharson, Alejandro Gallardo, Aliyah Jones, Max Lazarus, Jonah Lazarus, Zach Lazarus and Clarence Young) should probably be a little bit more amorphous. But the group’s distinct point of view and commitment to each other make their extra-large experiment both unique and successful. The fruits of their labor can be heard on their debut EP “Did you tell the bees?” out May 9. On May 10, the group will play a release show at Constellation.
During our conversation on an unseasonably warm recent Sunday, Family Junket mentioned inspirational touchstones like Sly and the Family Stone, Sault and Stevie Wonder. They also take inspiration from each other.
“In many musical spaces, where you have to make a lot of adjustments with your character, your personality, even your values, sometimes it’s very painful,” added Blau. “So the fact that I have been able to be a part of this family, this mishpacha, has been almost one of the easiest things. It’s seamless.”
Max Lazarus and Coats cited an Adrienne Maree Brown quote, “We move at the speed of trust,” as a foundation for the group.
“I do feel like in that process, when we feel something that is good collectively, we’re usually on one accord about it,” said Edwards.
“Yeah, yeah,” Daniel added. “Ideas that I’m maybe not 100% on, I’ve learned to trust that if other people in the room are really stoked, then that energy will kind of carry and that’s fertile enough ground for the idea to grow.”
That trust in each other helps fuel a trust within themselves individually. Music is their passion, but the members all lead different lives outside of the group, from jobs in academia to engineering to farming and teaching. But when it comes to the band, it is their choice to lean into each other’s instincts (as well as their lack of egos) that has led to a collection of sonic triumphs. This is music as it should be made and creativity in its purest, brightest form.
Many of the tracks from “Did you tell the bees?” were created over the course of more than two years. During that time, band member and mixing engineer Max Lazarus encouraged the others to keep playing. New members joined the group, allowing more room for growth and development with older songs.
The eight-song collection is a rich project rooted in the heart of the late ’90s and early 2000s neo-soul movement, but it is not a cheap retread. Songs brush against other moments in time as well, like the early murmurings of the psychedelic soul of the late ’60s or the funk-laden R&B of the mid-to-late ’70s.
I immediately thought of Rotary Connection, one of the most underrated Chicago-born groups from that time — not only because of their multicultural past, but also because of their openness to experiment and challenge notions of what they should be making as a group.
“It’s really important that we capture the energy in the room and all of the things that we’re talking about, like the love that we share for each other and the comfort, but also the rage and the anger,” said Max. “Life is full of so (many) rich experiences.”
They are not focused on the past. Lyrics touch on the lived realities of today, both the strife and the joy. Vocalist Coats said “Time is What I Need” was written in the emotional aftermath of 2020 activism and examines feelings of grief, sorrow, and rage as the world moves through such moments without time to pause.
“What do I do if I know the system is broken? What am I going to do about it?” Coats asked. “We were all grasping for time and a moment to just breathe, but the train keeps chugging along. That is exhausting, and it’s going to leave people behind.” It is the sort of music that lulls you in, then wallops you over the head with its profound truths.
Yet, not all of their music is so heavy. One track, “Buzz,” is about the experience of flying on a malfunctioning bee. “It reminds me of funk music like Parliament in the ways that they can tap into the deep belly of pain, but then pull it up with joy and color,” said Coats.
Some music fans in Chicago have heard their music at live performances at spaces like the jazz-forward cocktail club Lemon, but this will be a first time for songs off of an album.
“A lot of the music feels so close to home and feels connected to our histories,” Coats said. “It will feel really special to have people listen to it.”
Britt Julious is a freelance critic.
Family Junket and Akenya is 8:30 p.m. May 10 at Constellation, 3111 N. Western Ave.; tickets $15 at constellation-chicago.com
