Photo courtesy of Brothers Lazaroff
The core group of Brothers Lazaroff: Grover Stewart, David Lazaroff, Sam Golden, Jeff Lazaroff, Teddy Brookins, Mark Hochberg (from left to right).
Brothers Lazaroff's new album, Sisters and Brothers, is about “an existential fear of fascism.” At least, that's how a half-joking David Lazaroff puts it.
Brothers Lazaroff will be debuting the eighth studio album at Jazz St. Louis/Jazz at the Bistro this weekend, August 2 and 3. Founded by brothers David and Jeff Lazaroff, both native to St. Louis, this will be the band's fourth annual performance at the venue. Over the course of these performances, David says, the band has grown a lot, and this new album reflects that growth. "We really want to find that Brothers Lazaroff happy place between the jazz sound and the rock sound," David says.
Sisters and Brothers is Brothers Lazaroff's first batch of new music since late 2016, and the first project to see outside help with production, rather than producing their own songs like normal, from Red Pill Recording Studio.
Much of the album discusses the deep political divides that many in the United States have found themselves across since the 2016 election. Songs like “Talk Til You're Blue.” and “Chase Em Outta Town” specifically address the differences in political opinions that have been overtaking public discussion.
Photo courtesy of Brothers Lazaroff
The album art for "Sisters and Brothers"
"The songs on this album don’t turn a blind eye to everything going on around us," Jeff said in a press release. "But they ultimately come back to the importance of taking care of each other during these crazy times."
“Musicians are ahead of the curve in the peacemaking business, we’ve been making peace forever," David Lazaroff says. "Musicians take the most beautiful parts of each other’s cultures and celebrate them.”
David also described the album as a way to cope in such a divisive time. In part, it's figuring out how to "keep the light going in dark times" and "push back against the dark forces at work."
“We’re just going to keep trying to bring people together," David says, "and start with ourselves and play music that heals."
Catch Brothers Lazaroff at Jazz St. Louis August 2 and 3 at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets and more details can be found on the Jazz STL website. Sisters and Brothers is available to stream on August 2, hard copies will be available for sale at live shows.
