Press

Thousands of One unveil CD

Last Updated (Monday, 29 November 1999 19:00) Written by Jim Catalano - The Ithaca Journal Thursday, 14 July 2005 00:00

From the start, Thousands of One have been community oriented in its mission. "The main goal when we got together was to be a collective that would bridge gaps in the community," says singer Jhakeem Haltom. "We've got the Alternatives-Greenstar crowd, but we still have the low-income housing and people who are disenfranchished who are jumping on to this philosophy that Ithaca says it wants to spread. That was what we wanted to do with our music."

The band's popularity has rapidly grown, with out-of-town gigs on the horizon. Yet the band members are careful not to let their success distract them from their original goal. "As we've been doing things with the People's Garden Project and the Northside Community Center, and making things happen on that level, I feel better about letting the music get out to the surrounding areas," says Haltom. "It is a surprise how much it's grown."

Friday, the band will release its self-titled debut CD with a show at the Rongovian Embassy. It was recorded with producer Elliot Martin, singer with John Brown's Body, who added a modern sensibility to the band's organic grooves.

"It was Elliot who gave us that inspiration and that skill of production," credits Haltom. "He said, 'You guys sound pretty good, let's bring it together," and he really inspired us and brought it to the next level"