Slimtrim Records
Reimagining Jazz Since 1999
Slimtrim Records is an Asheville, NC-based music label that releases creative and high-quality jazz and improvised music. The label provides a community for seasoned professionals that are looking to expand the release footprint of their digital and physical musical creations. Slimtrim was founded on the west coast in 1999 as the in-house label for OM Trio, the acclaimed jazz-rock group that was active between 1999-2004.
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Brian Felix Organ Trio - Level Up - AVAILABLE NOW
Former OM Trio keyboardist Brian Felix breaks a two-decade recording silence with Level Up, a dynamic organ jazz double-LP that is a stylistic tour de force. This ambitious release features twelve original compositions by Felix, spanning genres from straight-ahead jazz to funk, reggae, samba, surf rock, and gospel. Felix leads his working trio — Tim Fischer on guitar and Evan Martin on drums — whose telepathic interplay and extraordinary musicianship bring his diverse body of work to life.
The compositions reflect Felix’s deep roots as a jazz organist and pianist while showcasing his diverse performance history and expertise. Of the title track, “Level Up,” Felix says, “It sounds like a cross between Daft Punk and Medeski, Martin & Wood.” The trio’s straight-ahead jazz prowess shines on the moody “Gathering,” the intricate “Time for Change,” the swing/samba hybrid “Lip Service,” and the bluesy “Joey & Larry,” the latter dedicated to organ greats Joey DeFrancesco and Larry Young. “Zen Circles” stands out as the album’s “jammiest” track, with intricate interplay and an epic guitar solo by Fischer. The funk runs deep in “Hippopotamus,” a revival of an OM Trio classic, and “W 18th Strut,” underpinned by a groove reminiscent of the Meters’ New Orleans swagger. The album’s more pensive side is reflected in “Ashkenazi Theme” as well as “Coming Home,” a folk-gospel track that brings the album to a satisfying close.
The twenty-two year span between OM Trio’s final album (Globalpositioningrecord, 2003) and Level Up is a long time, but some will argue it was worth the wait: with this ambitious release, Felix reaffirms his place as a modern innovator in organ jazz, blending tradition with stylistic adventurousness and deep sense of groove.
Credits
Brian Felix - organ
Tim Fischer - guitar
Evan Martin - drums
Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered at Drop of Sun Studios, Asheville, NC
Recorded and Mixed by Alex Farrar
Mastered by Adam McDaniel
Assistant Engineering by Seamus Rooney
Produced by Brian Felix
Slimtrim Records 2502 (2LP, CD, streaming, download)
Tim Fischer - Holy City Sessions
“An outstanding collection of tunes and a great listen." - Jazz Guitar Today
Slimtrim Records 2303
Holy City Sessions album notes:
The Holy City Sessions documents the lessons I learned while performing in Charleston from 2016 - 2019. The Charleston-based musicians on this album, Quentin Baxter, Brett Belanger, and Eric Schoor, all possess a passion for swing and the jazz tradition while still creating music that is forward-looking and relevant today. This project came together under the guidance of Randy Napoleon, a guitarist whom I’ve long admired and befriended since moving to South Carolina. Randy’s contributions to this project extend beyond the typical suggestions of a producer; he provides inspired accompaniment and solos on much of the album. I am appreciative to have shared these compositions, improvisations, and interactions with such a wonderful and supportive group of musicians and hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Artists
Brian Felix
Brian Felix is widely recognized as an accomplished and versatile jazz keyboardist. He was co-leader of OM Trio, an acclaimed San Francisco-based jazz-rock group that toured internationally between 1999-2004. Brian is active today as a performer and recording artist with his Brian Felix Organ Quartet and other prominent groups in Western North Carolina.
Felix has shared the stage with well-known musicians such as Joshua Redman, Charlie Hunter, Umphrey’s McGee, Sara Caswell, Billy Hart, Joe Russo, Kelly Sill, Dave Fiuczynski, and many others. Felix is a Professor of Music at UNC Asheville, where he teaches classes on jazz theory and improvisation, music business, jazz ensembles, keyboard skills, the Beatles, and the Grateful Dead.
His most recent releases are are trio of singles from 2023: "11833 Komensky" "Budro's Bounce" and "Sideways," all on Slimtrim Records.
Further info: www.brianfelix.com
Tim Fischer
Tim Fischer is a guitarist, composer, educator, and author based in
Asheville, North Carolina. He has performed and toured nationally and
internationally in multiple festivals and concert series. His musical
interests are diverse, ranging from jazz and classical to rock and
experimental electronic music. He has lived in several regions in the
US, growing up and studying music in Los Angeles, moving to St. Louis in his mid-20s, and living in the Carolinas since 2016. He has integrated himself as a solo artist, bandleader, sideman, and concert organizer into each of these musical communities. He has recorded as a sideman and, as a leader, has released four albums of original compositions and arrangements. His most recent release, The Holy City Sessions, was released on Slimtrim Records in 2023.
Further Info: www.timfischermusic.com
OM Trio
OM Trio was a jazz/rock band that toured extensively in the US from 1999-2004 and released five albums. Their style of music was dubbed "Elevator Music for Headbangers" and "Instru-metal Jazz/Rock," reflecting their penchant for the heavier side of electric improvised music. The band's primary touring years were 2001-2004, when they shared the stage with artists such as Tower of Power, John Scofield, Umphrey's McGee, Joshua Redman, Wayne Krantz, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe and others.
The band was started by Brian Felix (keyboards), Ilya Stemkovsky (drums), and Daniel Fusco (bass), all New Jersey natives that relocated to Southern Oregon. The band released three albums with Fusco: The Clarified Butter, Jazz Trio and Meat Curtain. In 2000 the group relocated to the SF Bay Area and fellow New Jerseyan Pete Novembre replaced Fusco on bass.
During their tenure, the trio performed regularly in all the major US markets and at several high profile festivals. The group released two albums with Novembre: Live (2001) and the critically acclaimed Globalpositioningrecord (2003). The group disbanded in December of 2004. They reunited for shows with Umprhey's McGee at the Fillmore Auditorum in SF in February of 2008. In addition to the five albums, the group left behind a trove of live recordings including the two DVD set Pummeling Angle (2016), which features eight hours of live and behind-the-scenes footage.
Further info: www.omtrio.com
Catalog
Slimtrim 2502 - Brian Felix Organ Trio - Level Up (album) (February 2025)
Slimtrim 2501 - Brian Felix Organ Trio - "Level Up" (single) (January 31, 2025)
Slimtrim 2306 - Brian Felix - "Strawberry Fields Forever" (single) (2023)
Slimtrim 2305 - Tim Fischer - "Morning Buns" (single) (2023)
Slimtrim 2304 - Brian Felix - "Sideways" (single) (2023)
Slimtrim 2303 - Tim Fischer - The Holy City Sessions (album) (2023)
Slimtrim 2302 - Brian Felix - "Budro's Bounce" (single) (2023)
Slimtrim 2301 - Brian Felix - "11833 Komenksy" (single) (2023)
Slimtrim 2101 - Tim Fischer - "Forty Winks" (single) (2021)
Slimtrim 1601 - OM Trio - Pummeling Angle (DVD) (2016)
Slimtrim 005 - OM Trio - Globalpositioningrecord (CD) (2003)
Slimtrim 004 - OM Trio - Live (2CD) (2001)
Slimtrim 003 - OM Trio - Meat Curtain (CD) (2000)
Slimtrim 002 - OM Trio - Jazz Trio (CD) (1999)
Slimtrim 001 - OM Trio - The Clarified Butter (1999)