Sly5thAve ft: Daniel Wytanis - Big Brother (Single)
“Big Brother feat. Daniel Wytanis” is the latest release from composer, arranger, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sly5thAve, taken from his third solo LP ‘Liberation’ out Friday 22nd March via Tru Thoughts. The track features and pays tribute to Snarky Puppy's multi-Grammy–winning percussion duo and Ghost Note bandleaders and bandmates Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth, alongside Ghost Note member and mixing engineer Ben Burget, and the mentorship they’ve shown Sly5thAve over the years.
Delving into his hip-hop roots, Sly5thAve seamlessly integrated live beat production with a nod to the genre's pioneers. Drawing inspiration from Roy Hargrove, the horn solo pays homage to the legendary musician, while the emotive strings evoke the power ballads of 90s R&B. The string glissando in the intro, adds a distinctive touch, embodying Sly5thAve’s innovative spirit as he pushes the boundaries of contemporary music. “Big Brother” comes to an end as Sly5thAve’s Ghost Note bandmate Daniel Wytanis, an incredible young talent, delivers a prominent trombone solo, seeing Sly5thAve come full circle mentoring Daniel in the same way Nate, Sput and Ben did for him.
‘Liberation’ marks Sly5thAve’s first full album of original orchestral arrangements. Known for his sophisticated compositions, Sylvester Uzoma Onyejiaka II AKA Sly5thAve’s first experiences with large-scale arranging were with the Club Casa Chamber Orchestra and recording instrumental covers of popular modern songs. Notably, his orchestral tribute to Dr. Dre, ‘The Invisible Man,’ garnered widespread praise and attention, even earning the admiration of Dr. Dre himself. Through these recordings Sly5thAve felt he had found a way to make people connect with orchestral music; “I’ve long felt orchestras around the world are inaccessible to most people – whether it be the programming, the cost, or the location”.
With a core underground following, Sly5thAve has been backed by famed tastemakers including Jarobi White (A Tribe Called Quest), Dr. Dre, Questlove and The Roots and actors Martin Freeman and Willem Dafoe. He has attained much respect from his work with a host of highly- fêted musicians including Prince (as a member of the New Power Generation Band), Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Taylor Swift, Janelle Monae, Freddie Gibbs and Quantic. Sly5thAve has toured and recorded as a member of Ghost Note, Quantic and with his own side project, IGBO, and recently supported Alfa Mist on his North American tour. He will be bringing his Liberation Tour to the UK in March/April.