Nu Shooz, one of the legendary bands to come out of the early-80's Portland scene, has released their 7th studio album, BAGTOWN. It's their first set of new material since 1989, and the first featuring the reunited live band. The 'Shooz came back together in 2013 with a glowing set at that year's Oregon Music Hall of Fame Awards. The nine members were all drawn from various incarnations of the group. By the end of 2014 Nu Shooz was as tight as it had ever been. It was obvious to everyone involved that it was time to make an album. Work began that October as the winter monsoon settled in over the Pacific Northwest. Songwriter John Smith went out to the 'Shooz home studio, EVOLUTIONLab, with no clear object in mind. The first music to emerge was a pair of symphonic pieces, followed by a long foray into '60's Psychedelia. Neither direction fit the bill. The new music had to be fun to play live, and it had to be funky! On a whim, Smith started making hand puppets out of discarded lunch bags. Then a cardboard city grew up around them. As the bag city slowly took over the studio, the music came into focus. "The bags were having a party. We listened to them, and what we heard sounded like Nu Shooz." BAGTOWN turns back the clock to an earlier version of the band, before the Emulator sounds of "I Can't Wait" ruled the dance floors of the world. In 1980, the line-up went from four members to twelve; they added four horns and three backup singers and pursued the big-band funk of late-70's groups like Tower of Power and Earth Wind & Fire. The new album digs deep into that tradition, horn-heavy and vocally sophisticated. "This turned out to be the 'vocal arranging' record. We listened to a lot of Take 6 and Manhattan Transfer, as well as the O'Jays." And speaking of the O'Jays, Philly Soul producers Gamble and Huff were a major inspiration for the sound of Bagtown. What came out in the end was pure Soul and pure fun. Singer Valerie Day says, "This is the most fun we ever had making a record." LINER NOTES: Produced by John Smith Musicians: Valerie Day, Gary Fountaine, Tracey Harris, Sean Holmes, Haley Horsfall, Mike Horsfall, Tim Jensen, Margaret Linn, Paul Mazzio, Johnny Riley, John Smith, Dave Captein. Recorded: 10.28.14 to 3.20.16 at EVOLUTIONLab, Portland, Oregon Mixed by Gregg Williams at The TRENCH, Portland, Oregon Mastered by: Gus Elg at Sky Onion Mastering Cover Art: Malcolm Smith malcolmsmithartist.com All songs by John R. Smith © 2016 Nu Shooz Orchestra LLC, BMI Thanks: Bailey Dee, Casey Phelps, Justin Huggins, Spirit Music Group What a strange/beautiful trip it's been. We want to say thank you to all our fellow travelers. Too bad there's not something like The NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK to ring up all the notes played, the reams of music paper, the miles traversed, all the SOULS who contributed to this body of work. One songwriter sitting alone in a room couldn't make something like NU SHOOZ. It takes a Grand Army; (more than a Company, but less than a Division,) to take on the LONG MARCH to turn these ideas into MUSIC, and to turn that Music into EMOTION. So... Our life-long gratitude goes out to you all. You know who you are. We dedicate this record to ALL SHOOZ PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE, and to YOU, who hold the results of our loving labor in your hands.