The AltNews Band brings together elements of retro funk, neo bop, nu jazz, chill and Latin music with unexpected instrumental solos, richly layered synth sounds, hip rhythms and bluesy, funky guitar hooks. Started by guitarist, composer and jazz visionary Tony Koch (Kosh, rhymes with "posh"), the quintet is filled out by producer, engineer and bass player Miles Hill, drummer Bobby Ruggiero, saxophonist Campbell Ryga and renowned Vancouver multi-instrumentalist Miles Black. Members have established their own distinctive voices through decades of innovating, performing and recording, and because Koch carefully lays out each of his compositions with these unique players in mind, The AltNews Band achieves a compelling sweet and savory blend of their individual ideals. Songs sizzle with ultra-hip, lyrical melodies, rich harmonies and dynamic fusion grooves with undertones of funk and rock that challenge concepts of traditional jazz while still holding true to its deep, improvisational roots.

 

With the release of their third album, Groove Rangers, Tony Koch and the AltNews Band continue to blaze new and exciting pathways in their ongoing quest to explore and push forward the horizons of ‘all things jazz’. Expressing a deep, poetic lyricism, burning grooves, ultra-hip and hooky neo-bop melodies, along with soaring, heart felt solos, Groove Rangers finds The AltNews Band laying down their most poignant offering to date. A heady fusion of funk,jazz, bop, swing and latin grooves, surrounded by rich, lush harmonies drawn from both jazz and classical traditions, provides a welcoming landscape for very memorable melodies that touch the heart with their song-like qualities. The result is a superb collection of tunes that showcase the many diverse strengths of each band member individually and as a collaborative whole.