Forq
Forq Bio
Forq creates at the crossroads of infectious grooves, ear-bending harmony, and melodies that stick with you like gum on your shoe long after the show ends. A group of world-class improvisers, the band showcases musical finesse through a treasure trove of delectably genre-bending songs.
Forq’s lineup is stacked with high-caliber players: originally founded by keyboardist Henry Hey (David Bowie, Empire of the Sun, Jeff "Tain" Watts) and bassist Michael League (Grammy-winning leader of Snarky Puppy), Forq has evolved to include guitarist Chris McQueen (Snarky Puppy, Bokanté) or guitarist Jordan Peters (Jon Batiste, Bokanté, Lauryn Hill), drummer Jason "JT" Thomas (Roy Hargrove’s RH Factor, Marcus Miller, Snarky Puppy, Mark Lettieri Trio), and bassist Kevin Scott (Government Mule, Wayne Krantz, Col. Bruce Hampton) or bassist Eli Menezes (Richard Bona, Lauryn Hill, Meshell N’degeocello).
Forq isn’t just virtuosic: they’re a musically stunning group that turns every show into a huge, raucous party. They’re quirkily intrepid, leading you along a sightseeing tour of musical strains to deliver grooves you’ve only heard in your oddest dreams.
Forq's music is a celebration that captivates audiences worldwide: having graced international stages including prestigious festivals like North Sea Jazz, Montreux Jazz, and Jazz á Vienne, Forq continues to leave an indelible mark with their singular blend of talent and pure fun.
Music
Big Party (2024)
Forq's latest release, 'Big Party,' is a celebration of its undeniable grooves, singular sonic brand, and mischievous humor. Your host for this party is critically acclaimed keyboard player, composer, and arranger Henry Hey. He’s joined by Forq veterans: Snarky Puppy guitarist Chris McQueen with his signature funky sound, Government Mule bassist Kevin Scott with his grooving bass lines, and Snarky Puppy drummer Jason 'JT' Thomas with his unmistakable musicality and relentless power. This raucous potluck shindig also boasts incredible guitarists Ryan Scott and Jordan Peters, bassists James Genus, Chris Morrissey, and Eli Menezes, and drummer Josh Dion. Tying it all together is the unexpected harmony, head-nodding, and toe-tapping joy that is absolutely Forq. It's a 'Big Party,' and everyone's invited!
Four (Remixt) (2021)
Part of the ethos of FORQ has always been an openness to the wide world of musical genres. When the four band members are asked what “style” of music they listen to, it can be a very long conversation because the answer seems nearly as vast as the history of recorded music. It’s a genuine curiosity, and one that has led to an entirely new collaboration involving twenty-four other artists.
Four (Remixt) is a massive collection of all new tracks built out of FORQ’s most recent release, Four. The band invited a group of incredible musicians from disparate corners of the musical landscape to take Four and do, basically, whatever they wanted. And the results are quite varied- to say the least.
Batch (2015)
"I met Chris McQueen the summer before our first year in college at the University of North Texas. He plays in Snarky Puppy with me. I met Jason "JT" Thomas (who is an original and still current member of Roy Hargrove's RH Factor, and has played with Marcus Miller, D'Angelo, etc.) in Dallas just after college, and we ended up playing a weekly gig every Monday night for a year or two with Bernard Wright at the lower-Greenville live music staple Gezellig before it closed.
Henry and I met when his band Rudder and Snarky Puppy toured together. He's kind of like my big brother in NYC... actually, the guy who convinced me to move there and got me a steady gig which allowed me to afford it.
We had the idea to start a band that was biiiiiig on groove and sonic exploration, without getting caught in the snags of the modern jazz world. We want to play shit with personality, character, and not nerdy, brainy stuff.
Also, we want people to shake their asses. I think the band has a very hard, NYC-style sound that is industrial but also innovative, but also has some serious Texas flavor considering that two of the guys are from there (JT and Chris) and that all of us lived there for different periods of time (Henry went to school at UNT).
We got Adam Rogers involved initially, as he and Henry are old friends (and neighbors in the East Village). He contributed a few songs on the first album and we did one US tour together in that lineup. He was booked solid this year, so we brought Chris into the band - I wouldn't say that it's a "replacement"... who knows, maybe both of them will play on the next record together! But Chris is the only one on Forq #2 and is doing the tour"
