The band will celebrate the release of its latest album, "Jazz Noise," with a show on Saturday at the Varsity Theatre. Doors open at 8 p.m. Jam rockers Levee Daze open the show at 9 p.m.
Captain Green is known for its virtuoso playing and high-energy instrumental music. Though the new record still features intricate compositions, the band wanted to ease back a bit for a calmer aesthetic.
“The last [album] was a psychedelic tour de force,” keyboardist and band leader Ross Hoppe said. "There’s some heavy-hitting stuff on this one, too, but we’re going for a more chill vibe and showing our jazz influence more.”
The band draws evenly from two primary wells of inspiration: Miles Davis and Frank Zappa.
“I have two tattoos — one is Davis and one is Zappa,” Hoppe said. “What made Miles so good was that it wasn’t just him; it was a roster of superstar pioneers on their instruments. What Zappa did was compose classical or opera for a rock band. I like to think we’re in between the crazy acid jazz and the prog-rock.”
The jazz vibe on the new record goes further than song composition. In the studio for only a few days last fall, the band wanted to record in a live-performance style.
This is the first Captain Green studio recording to feature a guitarist, after having Grant Hudson join the band in 2014.
“Having someone as good as Grant on guitar definitely makes my job easier,” Hoppe said. “I get to play less, and that frees me up in a different way.”
“I write parts for everybody but myself, so live I do different stuff every time just by improvising and reacting to the energy of the crowd,” Hoppe said.
Saxophonist Kevin McMann also recorded with Captain Green for the first time after joining last year. Melancon and drummer Chris “Katt” Lee returned to the studio with the band to record “Jazz Noise.” Drummer Michael Harris plays on three of the album’s tracks.
In a band with so much sound and so many solos, Kling said there is a specific task onstage.
“Everything has to be intentional — you can push without playing tons of stuff,” Kling said. “There’s a lot of sound potential onstage, so we try to guide it, as well as back the other guys up.”
Although proud of the new studio release, Kling and Hoppe both consider Captain Green to be its boldest during live performances.
“It’s how we’ve learned to work as a unit,” Kling said. “We always have the option to do anything live, and it’s different every time — and that’s the jazz tradition."
1. Shattered Teeth Nightmare 2:57
2. Tsurutsuru 6:08
3. Kitties Go to Sleep 7:15
4. The Snaffe 8:04
5. Dinogasm [Part 1} 5:05
6. Dinogasm [Part 2] 8:42
7. Revenge of the Swedish Chef 10:32
8. Hot Black Sticky Tar Balls 9:41
