Local band Jip Jop mixes varied musical styles for unique sound

If New Orleans brought us jazz and New York brought us hip-hop, then somewhere between the two is Jip Jop.

Bloomington’s own unique musical sextet has given birth to a genre in its own right.
Jip Jop’s members hail from across the States, fusing the sound and energy of musical styles from Chicago to Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia.

With hip-hop as their backbone, they pull in elements of jazz and more to make their own unified hybrid.

Jip Jop’s jazzy horn section features IU music student and saxophonist Davis Jones of Austin; and Jacobs School of Music alumnus and trumpet player Ryan Imboden of Indianapolis.

Chicago native Benny Gershman adds the elements of hip-hop with his vocals and lyrics. On keyboards is Ben Bolasny of Washington, D.C., while drums are played by Matt Margeson of Philadelphia. On bass is Bobby Wooten, from Chicago.

Jones and Gershman met through a mutual friend while Jones studied classical music at the Jacobs School of Music. The two started jamming on weekends with Bolasny, Margeson and Imboden, all students in the jazz program of the music school.
The jam sessions soon turned into composing and recording sessions.

Jones was playing bass when the group decided they wanted a sax player, so he switched instruments and the group started looking for a bassist. Wooten, a freshman at the time, was asked to join during his first weekend at IU.

“I just kind of hopped right on,” Wooten said. “Right when we started playing together it was instantly gratifying. It just worked.”

Chemistry in place, Jip Jop drew from personal influences of different eras, locations and styles when the group wrote music together.

Gershman said the easy access he had to jazz-fests and live blues in Chicago play a part in Jip Jop’s sound, on top of impacts of the more modern variety.

“I’m a Chicagoan. I’m into Kanye’s sound very much,” Gersham said. “No matter what he’s been up to lately, the music he’s been making has been hugely impacting us. And there are definitely huge musical icons that we all follow. Matt’s a big fan of The Roots. Blasney really brought in the sound of Wale from D.C.”

The band’s mutual fondness for Motown and soul enhances the urban quality of its music, and they are always open to incorporating new genres.

The band’s unique sound has been well-received by Bloomington’s throngs of open-minded music lovers, earning the group respect as one of the most enjoyable live acts in town.

“There are bars here that were just made for live music,” Gershman said. “It’s a great climate for live bands that are trying to build a fan base and get their music out.”
Jip Jop played its most recent show Saturday at the Bluebird to a packed house of fans.

“I’m both a big fan of jazz and hip-hop and I think they do a good job bringing those two genres together,” recent IU graduate Dan Stanton said. “There was a lot of energy in their performance.”

Others are drawn to the approachable stage presence and upbeat rhythms.

“I like their boppy sound, and how they dance around to their music as well, encouraging everyone in the audience to do the same.” senior Kerry Anderson said. “They are friendly and unpretentious, which makes their music even that more accessible.”

Even fellow Bloomington music makers are quick to sing the band’s praises. DJ Action-Jackson, frequently found behind turntables at Kilroy’s Sports Bar or Jake’s Night Club and Bar, called Jip Jop one of his favorite acts in town.

“What makes them so great live, besides the obvious fact that they’re great musicians, is that you can really tell that they are having fun playing and being up on stage together,” he said.

Jip Jop is currently working on its first 10-song LP, utilizing the record making know-how of Wooten’s father, who has worked with R&B singer Keith Sweat and Ray Charles, among others.

“We went in with one vision of each song, but when they came out, each song had changed,” Wooten said. “My dad would chime in every now and then, bring in his influence. Every song evolved into something better in the process.”

The band is still finalizing the album, which will be released on Rewind Records and hopefully through iTunes. Jip Jop will play at the Bluebird again Feb. 18 and is heading to Chicago over spring break to play the Elbo Room March 13.
But what’s next for Jip Jop when college ends?

“Making music is definitely a viable option,” Gershman said. “Chicago is a great scene, there’s a good crowd there too. We’ve talked about moving up there. So I don’t know, but if we have the chance to pursue music, we’re going to do that.”