Natural Elements

There are two groups named "Natural Elements." The first is a hip-hop group, and the second is a jazz group.

Hip-hop group:
Before materializing as an official group, the Natural Elements were originally conceived as a group of solo artists brought together in 1993 under the tutelage of producer Charlemagne. This initial grouping, whose members were initially signed to Fortress Records, included members Mr. Voodoo, L-Swift, KA, G-Blass, Howie Smalls and the InTimidator. By 1995, however, membership slimmed to include only Mr. Voodoo, L-Swift and the newly-added A-Butta.

The trio's countless appearances on the NYC freestyle and mixtape circuits culminated with a record deal on the Tommy Boy Black sublabel and the release of the single "2 Tons" in 1999. Although the highly-anticipated NE album was completed, problems with Tommy Boy shelved the project and the album never saw the light of day.

Jazz group:
When you combine the amazing guitar dialogues of George Kane and John Murphy with the rhythmic foundations of bassist John Werick and drummer Jeff Meister, you have “Natural Elements.” The group has established deep roots in the Buffalo area since 1993, performing for terrific audiences in some of the nicest venues in Western New York. While heavily steeped in the jazz tradition, Natural Elements offers a sound with an almost universal appeal. This can be attributed to the many years of work devoted by Kane and Murphy to developing a sophisticated, yet listener-friendly repertoire of guitar arrangements that showcase the great Latin, classical and pop characteristics so integral to the instrument’s identity. All four members of the group have shared the fundamental benefits of growing up musically in the Buffalo jazz culture. These four musicians now have a focus on a unique sound that is jazz, and so much more.