Monday, March 17, 2008

Bing Ji Ling impersonators spotted around Manhattan -- see the real deal onstage in NYC this week. New EP June Degrees In December out now.

“I saw Bing Ji Ling riding a bike near the Bedford stop in Brooklyn.” – Jenn de la Vega, Fanatic Promotion

“I saw him at the bus stop at 11th and A, and then the next day at Whole Foods.” – Josh Bloom, Fanatic Promotion

“I wasn’t at either of those spots... I was on tour with Lynard Skynard.” – Bing Ji Ling.

The Bing Ji Ling sightings mentioned above are not isolated incidents. This occurrence seems to be a daily thing with Quinn Luke who claims there are several folks impersonating him throughout New York City. And why wouldn’t there be?

For a man described as “funkier than Fudgie the Whale with a blunt in his blowhole” by Pitchfork and so talented that he “tickles the keys and channels early Prince, Mick Hucknall, and Earth, Wind & Fire, while bringing his funk squarely into the 21st century” (XLR8R), who wouldn’t wanna jack his style?

Bing Ji Ling’s new EP June Degrees In December is out now. See below for a full EP stream and MP3s and if you’re in NYC, check him out live tonight at the 105 Club (105 Rivington St.).

June Degrees In December Track Listing:
Stream The EP HERE
Release Date: March 4, 2008

01. Kathalina (MP3)
02. June Degrees In December (MP3)
03. Be Here With You (MP3)
04. This Song Is For You
05. Home

More about Bing Ji Ling:
As stated, Bing Ji Ling is the nom de plume of one Quinn Luke, a NYC-based producer/musician with a rich legacy of work behind and in front of him. His new EP, June Degrees In December, a work of stunning, soulful talent, marks the finest chapter in his career. He’s the man with The Vintage Sound and Modern Appeal.

As a member of legendary skater-cum-musician Tommy Guerrero’s group, Luke has toured the world, wowing crowds at festivals such as Fuji Rock in Japan. As Coppa, a duo comprised of Luke and legendary crate-digging haven Groove Merchants’ Chris Veltri, Luke has also produced a series of 12-inch singles that have earned the praise of Space Disco tastemakers such as Prins Thomas and Todd Terje. Recently, he produced art funk outfit Tussle’s critically hailed Telescope Mind after which he formed the duo Expanding Head Band with Tussle songwriter Alexis Georgopoulos. The duo’s first releases are to appear on DFA, Smalltown Supersound and Lo Recordings. He has also remixed Honeycut and Curumin (Quannum Projects) and Romanowski (Trouser Trout) and has collaborated with The Rondo Brothers (Fortune Records) and Tommy Guerrero and Blackalicious (Quannum Projects). Luke also DJ’s regularly at NYC hotspots such as 205 Club and the Gold Bar and has recently joined NYC’s Band of Thieves on keyboards.

As Bing Ji Ling, Luke has released two full-length albums on his and former production partner Merkley’s Kreme Kul Records. June Degrees In December is the first release on his own To The Curb Productions. If the aforementioned projects have been hypnotic abstractions of funk and soul, as Bing Ji Ling, Luke brings the real deal. Bing Ji Ling reveals honeyed vocal stylings with a range that would impress Mariah. Hear his cover version of AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” (originally released on Ubiquity Record’s Rewind 3 compilation) on MySpace for proof. Stylistically, one can detect traces of Prince, Shuggie Otis, Rare Groove, Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind & Fire, D’Angelo, Maxwell and Beck.

Named for the Chinese words for ice cream (Luke spent a year in Shanghai and became fluent in Mandarin during his residency), Luke’s performances took this concept to legendary lengths. Live shows at venues such as Bowery Ballroom and Knitting Factory (NYC), Viper Room (LA), the Warfield (SF) and Liquid Room (Tokyo) included a small army of “Ice Cream Ladies” handing out the sweet treat, Bing in full regalia, and the band in 1950’s era Good Humor Ice Cream Man uniforms. The debut Bing Ji Ling album included contributions from No Doubt’s drummer Adrian Young and Luke’s right-hand man Merkley. Press coverage included XLR8R, Swindle, and ReUp Magazine.

In 2007, Luke relocated from San Francisco to New York. And with that came a renewed sense of purpose. June Degrees In December marks both a continuation of Luke’s pure “soul pop” ecstasy and something of a departure. If vintage soul and funk and an over-the-top persona defined Luke’s first releases, June Degrees finds Luke bringing his taste for yacht rock and 80s R&B into the mix and a tempering of the extreme aspects of his persona.

Appropriately titled, it’s the equivalent of a warm breeze during these winter months. A reverie for future good times. Opener “Kathalina” (MP3) coaxes an island sound that would make Michael McDonald and Maroon 5 blush. The sultry jam that is the title track is a summer between-the-sheets classic in the making. “Be Here With You” (MP3) suggests a meeting of Elvis Costello’s “Every Day I Write The Book” and Freddy Jackson or perhaps Luther Vandross.

Luke has the kind of melodic sensibility most would kill for (which says nothing of his musical chops and taste for vintage instruments.) Utilizing a small arsenal of gear which includes Fender Rhodes piano, analog synthesizers, all manner of percussion and bass, drums and guitar, Luke coaxes a warm, familiar sound that sounds fresh.

The cover art features one Luke’s favorite painters, Black Dragon. As a collector of outsider folk art, Luke has developed an idiosyncratic palette. It’s the perfect cover for June Degrees and is another striking example of Luke’s unique and visionary sensibility.

Bing Ji Ling recently wrapped up a seven-day Florida cruise playing with Band of Thieves on their tour with Lynard Skynard and a string of shows at South By Southwest. More live dates at the annual Winter Music Conference will be announced soon.

Bing Ji Ling Live:
03/22 New York, NY @ 105 Club
03/27 Winter Music Conference TBA
03/28 Winter Music Conference TBA
03/29 Winter Music Conference TBA
04/12 Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool

Selected Discography (http://www.bingjiling.com/JDID/discography.html):
Bing Ji Ling
Fire and Ice Cream (Krëme Kul)
Doodle Loot Doot Doodle A Doo (Krëme Kul)
Rewind 3! (Ubiquity)
Soul Mosaic (Ubiquity)
Tommy Guerrero From The Soil To The Soul (Quannum)
Future Primitive Party In My Pants (Future Primitive)

Tools and Hi-Res Photos:
www.fanaticpromotion.com/rosterdetails.php?indexkey=1252

On The Web:
www.bingjiling.com
www.myspace.com/bingjiling

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