Live from the Boom Room is a live music video series featuring live performances recorded in the Blip Blap Video HQ bunker in St. Louis, Mo. Learn more about Blip Blap Video at blipblapvideo.com, or follow them on Instagram and YouTube.
This week’s episode is the 125th and final episode of Live from the Boom Room! Season 5, episode 10 features Mo Egeston All-Stars performing “Trust.” Live from the Boom Room has been Produced and Directed by Brian McClelland.
About this week’s artist:
Pianist and bandleader Maurice “Mo” Egeston created the Mo Egeston All-Stars (AKA Mo E All-Stars) to bring to life the groove-driven influences that have defined his original music since his days with pioneering live electronic music project Urban Jazz Naturals. The All-Stars developed a unique sound around Egeston’s instrumental originals and vocal arrangements, influenced equally by traditional jazz improvisation, modern soul, Latin grooves, and electronic music. Mo E All-Stars released Groove Suites Vol. 1 in 2017 and were featured for years as part of the Late Night Grooves music series at the Dark Room, which Mo developed as a part of his music residency (inaugural class) with Kranzberg Arts Foundation.
Recently, Mo Egeston All-Stars have been collaborating with a new crew of St. Louis area vocalists including Michelle Higgins, who wrote the lyrics for Mo’s original songs “Trust,” “Testament,” and “Just Be,” featured powerhouse vocalist Nikki Ellis, and multi-disciplinary artist and prolific writer AhSa-Ti Nu. Mo Egeston emerged as a band leader in the 1990s with regional favorites Vargas Swing followed by his time performing and releasing music with Urban Jazz Naturals. Mo was also a member of St. Louis-based rock band Brothers Lazaroff from 2008-2014 and worked for many years with the artist known as CocoSoul.
What brought you to this point in your life as a working St. Louis artist?
My initial career path was designed around the goal of making a living as a pianist and educator on the college level. As I was finishing my Masters, it became evident that I wanted to explore other facets of music as well. Although at the time my experience was mostly in traditional classical piano, I was also very into electronic music. The initial Washington Ave. club scene and early club residency opportunities led me rather accidentally to life as a band leader. My first band didn’t happen until during Grad School which is somewhat backwards and I’ve been bouncing between multiple musical worlds ever since. My day job is teaching piano (including Mo Egeston Piano Studio), teaching the occasional college course, and classical collaborative piano/accompanying—all of which I love! This work gives me the freedom to use my band primarily as a creative outlet.
What inspires your music? What does this song in particular mean to you?
I’m definitely a groove first musician and many of those grooves were initially influenced by what I was hearing in clubs and lounges from DJ friends. This exposure inspired me to imagine what electronica, including genres such as house and drum & bass, could be in a live setting. I was deep into my traditional studies and starting to learn a little jazz so all of these influences along with a love of soul and Latin grooves started to blend into what eventually became the All-Stars sound. What inspires me the most are the people I’m working with. Due to my training as a collaborative pianist, I’ve always valued supporting and featuring other musicians. This approach is what led to the collaboration for the song we recorded, which is called “Trust.” This was originally a piano-led instrumental that I wrote just before the pandemic. When I started collaborating with Michelle Higgins, she mentioned that she had some lyric ideas for some of my originals. After many years of an instrumental focus with the All-Stars, I was ready to start working with vocalists again so the results have been very inspiring. Suffice to say, this chapter is just getting started.
Who in St. Louis are you inspired by right now?
I’ve been on the scene for a long time now so I’ve had the privilege to know a lot of the musicians who make St. Louis a great music town. And my Dark Room residency introduced me to and allowed me to feature some great younger players and true creative forces. So I can’t name just one artist or band but I can say that the local scene continues to surprise and inspire me with the availability of raw talent and diverse creativity.
Where do you hope to be in 5 years?
In many ways I started – and restarted – this journey late so I’ll be working as long as I’m able! I have plans to evolve my teaching and writing collaborations that will hopefully keep me academically and creatively fulfilled for many years to come. I’ve never been more inspired creatively due to the crew I work with now. If I can continue to keep creativity at the center of what I’m doing while continuing to learn and grow as a pianist, I will have no complaints.
Links:
Website | Facebook (Mo E All-Stars) | Facebook (Egeston Piano Studio) | Instagram | BlueSky | TikTok | Threads
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