LaMP: The Three Of Me Blend Into One Of Us

LaMP's rousing albums have a knack for keeping you listening, whether it is Russ Lawton propelling the trio along through punchy, substantial snare, Ray Paczkowski indulging in the inner point-of-view of melody and harmony on both organ and clavinet, or Scott Metzger inserting reveal after reveal in a twist-laden odyssey of gleeful, darting notes. But there is more to LaMP than all-out propulsion. Yes, at times the songs groove like there is rocket fuel baked into the amps, but the band also has a gift for building layers of emotional intensity into even their most shocking psychedelic swirls on tracks such as "Jasper's World," ensuring that even when you're not expecting diversions, you are thinking about them while they move on to the next track.

One Of Us (Royal Potato Family, 2025), the jammers' latest groover, is a prime example of their capacity for blending the juicy and the thrilling with the deeply emotional. Full of breakneck turns and pacing that will leave you dizzy, it is also a satisfyingly intense descent into danceable music. Lawton's talent for structure comes to the fore right away as he begins seeding the ten tracks with ideas, beats and setups that might not pay off until you are fully invested in the rhythmic patterns laid down. The other two players meld into these patterns, producing an unforgettable sound. The threads of this ever-expanding tapestry of sound run quickly and accurately out in all directions, so many that you might momentarily think there is no way they will all weave together in the end. Then LaMP's sonic storytelling takes over, as they use the dueling perspectives of Paczkowski and Metzger to begin binding all of those threads into something whole, something sleek and dark and luxurious, and listeners realize the music is in sure hands.

The ten tracks on One of Us are packed into 35 minutes of kaleidoscopic interplay and club-shifting grooves. This is the band's first studio outing since their self-titled debut, released in 2020, and follows last year's self-produced double-LP, Live At Nectar's, which was sourced from two nights at the storied Burlington, Vermont venue where the band was born.

The title track, "One of Us," rides this long, cresting wave of funk before a Lawton drum solo signals a spiraling entry into a trippy wormhole. "Nice Girl (Walks Loud)" and "Jasper's World" showcase a muscular Zeppelin stomp, steamed into a humid shuffle that will undoubtedly rattle dance floors in a live setting. They distill singular, road-honed improv instincts into taut, instrumental epics, which work well beyond the smart, tightly-coordinated jamming. Adding Brooklynite guitarist Metzger, who has played with Joe Russo's Almost Dead, to the long-standing tight union of drummer Lawton and Paczkowski (Hammond organ, Hohner clavinet, Wurlitzer electric piano) was an inspired choice as Metzger throws himself completely and gleefully into the aesthetic of the band, delivering vivid and evocative riffs that crackle and tilt throughout.

The deeper you get into the music, the more you realize that the central theme of the album is that of "the three of us," as Paczkowski comments. "We're all writers in the sense of courting some kind of inspiration, a melody, a rhythm, a vibe, feeling some kind of spark and bringing it to the band. The goal was to get a fire going." If only the cavemen had been this deft, fire would have been invented eons ago.

Take the opener "Cosmo,"—the longest cut at six minutes—as it sets the stage with a slow, smoky build, which sounds like the guys warming up their gear in a shuttered club before dropping into a sweeping groove. Paczkowski and Metzger try to out-riff each other while Lawton pushes the band deeper with his crackling beats. The backend of the record settles into a stately flow, highlighted by the blue-hour strut of "Ulterior Motives" and the closer "Clipse O," where Metzger's fluid lines skitter and dance alongside Paczkowski's vibrant keys and Lawton's inexhaustible drumming.

Throughout its runtime, One of Us acts as a showcase for the myriad flavors LaMP brings to the table. It works both as deep headphone immersion or a packable-party, custom-tailored to deliver the jams to upcoming Spring '25 hangs. "It's the next sound of three musicians who are playing what they feel, and feeling it as one," Paczkowski declares.

The album acts as an adroit exploration of memorable rhythms with dashes of melody thrown in along the way. By the time the concluding track, "Clipse-O" rolls around, expect to be glued to your headphones, determined to unearth all of LaMP's secrets and having a great time in the process.



In a brief interview, individually the three members of LaMP provided further insight into other tracks on One of Us not mentioned above and more.

All About Jazz: Is there an artist or band in particular that has inspired LaMP and your role in the band? What song on the album portrays your contribution the most?

Ray Paczkwoski: No one artist, but many, many. The music here is really just each player laying down sounds they feel and that move them to feel, which in turn inspires each of us to do the same. A result bigger than the sum of its parts.

Russ Lawton: Tony Allen immediately comes to mind. "One of Us" is the song from the new album for me. My contribution starting with the drum groove.

Scott Metzger: I think about the Larry Goldings/Peter Bernstein/Bill Stewart trio a lot with LaMP. We obviously don't sound much like them, but I think we're coming from the same place—doing a solid take on the classic organ/drums/guitar trio format. Wes Montgomery has really influenced my role in LaMP. The way he played on those classic organ trio records with Melvin Rhyne and Jimmy Cobb, it doesn't get any better than that. He played with such unbelievable feel on those records, soloing and comping. Boss Guitar (Riverside Records, 1963) in particular really influenced the way I play with Russ and Ray.

AAJ: Where do you think the band fits in the various genres of jazz and why?

RP: Boy, tough one. The heavy reliance on improvisation as inspiration for sure. This trio is all players who have ingested hundreds of hours of amazing musical ideas, from Miles to Monk to Abdullah Ibrahim to Morphine to you name it. It's not a genre we're going for, it's more a vibe.

RL: Primarily Improvisation.

SM: I've heard the term "jazz adjacent" thrown around for bands in our zone. I'd say that's about right for us.

AAJ: Could you provide some insight into some of the other tracks on the album such as: "Stalker List," "The River Jordan," "Backfire" and "Muckle On?"

RP: "Stalker List" was a drum groove that Russ brought to the group. Scott came up with a rhythm vamp and melody that turned the original groove upside down. I always feel a Grant Green kind of vibe playing it. "The River Jordan" is a meditation on a simple progression that Soule Monde had been messing around with and I couldn't resist the major chord organ payoff! "Muckle On," again, an exploration, period. "Backfire" is a fully realized piece Scott brought in using a groove Russ came up with. Titles for instrumental pieces are often derived from events in our past, something someone has said that crystallized a moment. All inside baseball! As an example, "The River Jordan" derives from Steve Jordan, whose style was an influence on Russ' playing on that cut.

RL: "Stalker List" has a Miles vibe and is inspired by a club that not only has a guest list but also a stalker list. "The River Jordan" is an emotional, moving song that, as its name suggests, emits a floating calmness. "Backfire" drives a funky backbeat groove into an open halftime section. "Muckle On" is funk set to a dreamy landscape.

SM: For "Stalker List," Russ sent a killer beat around that had a real driving, almost evil feel to it, which is funny since Russ is one of the nicest guys anyone could ever ask to meet. Anyway, the melody and harmony came very easily for this, just sort of jamming along with the drum beat. "The River Jordan" was brought to the table by Ray. To me it has a seventies ECM kinda feel happening. I love it! "Backfire" is the only track on the record that has what I would call a proper guitar solo. It's been fun really opening this one up and stretching out on it live.

AAJ: What is the relation of "Clipse O" to "Clipse Dog" from the first album?

RL: No relation, "Clipse-O" represents the calypso rhythm of the song.

SM: They're both anthems for my dog, Clipse.

AAJ: What is the biggest crowd pleaser during live shows from the first record? What song from the new one would you guess will have a similar effect?

RP: For energy, probably "Clipse Dog" from our first album. From this new album, "Cosmo" is really getting an incredible response.

RL: "Some Days" from the first album, and "Cosmo" from the new album.

SM: Every night Russ brings the house down with his drum feature. Every night. Off the new record, people seem to really be digging "Jasper's World," "One of Us," and "Cosmo." But really, all the new stuff is going over well with the crowds. I couldn't be more pleased.

AAJ: What do you hope listeners take away from One of Us?

RP: Hoping they feel somewhat like we feel playing this music. It's a rush!

RL: Uplifting songs and musicianship.

SM: Feel over flash. That working together to contribute to the groove behind a memorable, interesting melody is enough to make a great record. It doesn't have to be flashy. There are no long solos on the record; we save that for the gigs. This record just gets right down to business.

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