Growing the market for Jazz

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Lawrence has made China his home for over 10 years.[Photo provided to China Daily]

"I wanted to make a purely instrumental album, really show people what the band can do. The inspiration I think is really the guys in the band. I'm really so fortunate to be able to work with such amazing musicians. Each one of them is so different and so talented in his own way and their individual musical personalities really shape the band's sound," says Ku, adding that the previous bassist EJ Parker returned to the US. The new bass player Damien Banzigou also made the second album different, he says.

"Bass and drums are really the heart of a groove band like this and Damien has such a deep groove. We were also able to exploit his singing talents as well as his talents as a recording engineer. The band has really come a long way these 10 years and I have been so proud to lead it, and have learned so much by doing so," Ku adds.

Since the band has a regular schedule at the JZ Club in Shanghai, it has been playing a lot of the songs on the record for a couple of years or more.

Deciding to make an album is in part just a way to give Ku the drive to write more music.

"When I decided it was time to record our second album I got to work and wrote three new compositions: Ace In The Hole, Afros On Asians and Brahms In Leather," he says.

The Red Groove Project has always been a live band and Ku likes to keep that feel on the records.