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Groundation is an American roots reggae band with jazz and dub influences from Sonoma County in Northern California.
Formed in the fall of 1998 by Harrison Stafford, Marcus Urani, and Ryan Newman, Groundation began on the campus of Sonoma
StateUniversity's Jazz Program. (Between 1999 and 2001, Harrison Stafford taught the first course on the History of Reggae
Music at SonomaState University.) In 1999, Stafford teamed up with Kris Dilbeck to found Young Tree Records and release
Groundation's debut album of thesame name.
In 2000 they added to the line up David Chachere, a San Francis ...read more
Groundation is an American roots reggae band with jazz and dub influences from Sonoma County in Northern California.
Formed in the fall of 1998 by Harrison Stafford, Marcus Urani, and Ryan Newman, Groundation began on the campus of Sonoma
StateUniversity's Jazz Program. (Between 1999 and 2001, Harrison Stafford taught the first course on the History of Reggae
Music at SonomaState University.) In 1999, Stafford teamed up with Kris Dilbeck to found Young Tree Records and release
Groundation's debut album of thesame name.
In 2000 they added to the line up David Chachere, a San Francisco based jazz trumpeter, and Kelsey Howard, a North Bay
trombone player.Saxophonist Jason Robinson was a member of the band for a time, and has since gone on to become the head
of the jazz program at UC SanDiego. Drummer Paul Spina (Les Claypool, Will Bernard's Mother Bug) has been with the group
since taking over for James Stafford inDecember 2001; he left the group in summer 2008. Kim Pommell and Kerry Ann Morgan
(both graduates of Kingston's Ashe performing artsschool) joined in 2006, and are featured lead vocalists on Groundation's 2009
release Here I Am.
The 9-piece band creates an altogether new Reggae sound, featuring swirling, jazz/funk inspired horns, stout Latin and African
based poly-rhythmics, and soulful harmony vocals. Their concerts utilize live improvisation, in classic jazz fashion, and are
renowned for their highenergy, communion-type atmosphere. Having gained international notoriety for their progressive fusion
style, Groundation regularlyheadlines major international festivals (Nice Jazz Fest, Summerjam, Sunsplash) and play to huge
crowds the world over.
"Groundation" comes from the Rasta term "Grounation." Grounations were gatherings based on using music to attain common
vibration, withthe focus on manifesting positive energy to effect social change. Groundation embodies the 21st Century version
of this ideal.
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