Ep 22 | I Love the Blues, She Heard Me Cry | Jacob Bruner (Sugar Bomb)

Jacob of Sugar Bomb joins Grooves of Influence to talk about improvisation, musical freedom, and choosing I Love the Blues She Heard Me Cry by George Duke as his most influential album. We discuss what jazz means today, why listenability and experimentation are always in tension, and how a great performance can make a whole room feel present together. Jacob shares how Sugar Bomb’s songs evolve on the road before they hit the studio, why live recordings can reveal a song’s real identity, and what it looks like to build a sound without getting boxed into one genre. A thoughtful conversation about groove, arranging, deep listening, and staying curious as a musician.Instagram: @SugarbombjazzWebsite: https://www.sugarbomb.bandYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@sugarbombjazz00:18 Meeting Jacob of Sugar Bomb00:48 How Sugar Bomb Describes Their Sound01:28 What Jazz Means Now03:17 Choosing George Duke as His Most Influential Album03:31 Why I Love the Blues She Heard Me Cry Matters07:01 What Sugar Bomb Wants the Audience to Feel Live10:08 Soft Moments vs Festival Energy10:28 Recording the Second Record and Touring Songs First12:42 Rubber Studio vs Live Version and Why It Changes14:41 Improvisation, Head Charts, and Keeping It Fresh16:49 George Duke Songs Sugar Bomb Wants to Play18:10 Freedom in Music and Why It Matters25:33 Balancing Experimentation and Listenability31:39 Why Everyone Should Check Out George Duke35:47 There Is Always More Music to Discover35:57 Where to Find Sugar Bomb and How to Support Them37:25 Upcoming Releases and Timeline for the Next Album38:15 The Sugar Bomb Video Game and What’s NextPhoto Credits: Tyler Franz