“The ‘More Love’ core members are a band of brothers and sisters from many grooves: Richard Cushing on bass and vocals, Peter Climie on sax, Walter Hughes on guitar, Matt Sweatt on drums, Cedric Taylor on keyboards, Freedman Steorts on trombone, Alex Schuetrumpf on trumpet, Frank Paladino on bari sax, and Courtney Reid on vocals. There are cameo turns by more than a dozen special guests and FreeWorld alumni – including the Tennessee Mass Choir on the title track.
FreeWorld members are definitely ‘all in this together,’ effortlessly creating the emotional richness of ‘More Love’ with smartly vivid lyricism framed by their joyous music.”
- Jim White
FreeWorld is an independent, ever-evolving, Memphis-based musical ensemble that draws from influences as broad-based as Booker T. & the M.G.’s, Steely Dan, Chicago, John Coltrane and Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, The Grateful Dead, Bob Marley, and The Meters. These brothers under one multicultural groove have remained a consistently entertaining and informed voice on the Memphis music scene since the group’s inception in 1987.
FreeWorld’s 8th album, More Love, showcases the band at a creative high point, with a set of new songs that covers the gamut of their musical breadth and originality. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Grammy Award nominated audio engineers Kevin Houston, Ari Morris, and Brad Blackwood – and with the added bonus of an Atmos surround sound mix of the song “Rush Hour” available online – the overall audio quality of the album is state-of-the-art, and the broad cross section of musical styles and genres that FreeWorld is famous for playing during their extended live sets on Beale Street all blend together effortlessly across the entire album. In addition, featured cameo appearances from over a dozen special guests and FreeWorld alumni – including the Tennessee Mass Choir on the title track – only add to the fullness and richness of the songwriting craft displayed on the album, and further showcase the quality of the musicianship and the deep camaraderie that flourishes within the extended FreeWorld family.
FreeWorld’s new album also includes the audio track from their recent, award-winning music video, “D-Up (Here’s To Diversity)”, which took multiple 1st place awards in various international film festivals and global music video award contests in 2022.
