Body Omara is a Minneapolis/St Paul-based trio performing the original compositions of Joseph Damman. At the heart of this music is a passion for finding new intersections where African influences meet the spirit of jazz improvisation and American melodic sensibilities. Guitarist, Joseph Damman writes all of Body Omara's original music. His style reflects his love for the funky, soulful "desert blues" of Malian guitar genius Ali Farka Toure, while it also recalls American folk and jazz with catchy, elaborate melodies and swelling improvisations. His heartfelt, earnest approach is reflected in the titles of his compositions and their related stories about family, self-reflection, questioning conventional ideas, community, death and birth. Bassist, Tom Reichert has performed -- as a guitarist and often bandleader -- in a wide variety of settings with: Bob Moses, John Lockwood, Douglas Ewart, and local phenoms Anthony Cox, Mike Lewis, JT Bates, Dean Magraw and many more. In this setting, Tom plays a key role as co-arranger, offering his expertise to the band's sound. He also brings his talent for maintaining a solid musical backbone while also lending his creative voice to the collective improvisation. Drummer, Davu Seru has extensive experience performing free improvisation, but his style is heavily rooted in jazz. His ingenious and often unpredictable approach to improvising adds a dimension that completes the inimitable sound of this trio. He currently plays in several other groups: Take Acre, Merciless Ghost (with saxophonist George Cartwright), various settings with multi-instrumentalist Milo Fine, and in a duo with Dean Magraw.