Band of the Week: The Subtle

 Having 10 core members makes The Subtle a large unit, but, according to Peter Fritz, the size is what makes it work.

    “When you have to have this many guys, magic happens,” he says. “If you take one away, it’s not the same. You can’t take one element out. Everyone has their place.”

    The Subtle combines Latin, jazz, funk, and world music in a unique sound that includes unusual instruments like a marimba (African thumb piano) and a mouth horn (imitating the sound of a trumpet by using the lips). There is a taste of free jazz, but the music is firmly grounded in the band’s original compositions.

    “We try to keep it soft,” says Fritz, and it is surprisingly true for such a large group.
With musicians of different ages and influences, Fritz says, “We can do any types of gigs. Call a genre and we can play it.”

    The group sometimes adds guest musicians, or it can work as a smaller unit depending on the venue.
The band was created for outside gigs, specifically RiverFusion, the annual festival held at Illick’s Mill in Bethlehem.

    The band is acoustic except for the guitar and keyboards, and Fritz is happy for the chance to play acoustic instead of electric bass. He and other band members studied with Muhlenberg College teacher and bassist Charles Fambrough.

    The Subtle, which began early this year, was named after a psychological concept of opposition to the individual ego. “We’re not thinking about our egos,” says Fritz. “We’re not like a rock band with a front man. We have to be able to work together.”

Members: Clockwise, from left: Jeff Beck, keyboards; Justin Bortz, percussion; Dave Jankovsky, keyboards; Carlos Sanchez, mouth horn, kalimba, cello, beatbox; A.J. Silverberg, harmonica; Dr. Robert F. Swift Jr., baritone sax; Peter Fritz, standup bass; Jason Rinker, drum; A.J. Melendez, percussion. Not pictured: J.J. Collazo, guitar and vocals
Performing: 6:30 p.m. April 3, Dave Phillips Music & Sound, 622 Union Blvd., Allentown, 610-820-5600, free; 8 p.m. April 8, Muhlenberg College, Baker Center for the Arts, Recital Hall, 2400 Chew St., Allentown, free, broadcast live on WMUH, 91.7 FM. Allentown; 1 p.m. May 3, RiverFusion, Sand Island, www.illicksmill.org/riverfusion
On the Net: www.thesubtle.com