ZO! & Tall Black Guy

“‘Abstractions,’ released in 2021, is the product of this synergy — a sonic journey through jazz, R&B, and hip-hop, infused with their mutual respect for craftsmanship and storytelling.” - Chris Campbell, WDET 101.9 FM

Fusing soul, funk, and jazz with a hip-hop perspective, Detroit-area native Lorenzo “Zo!” Ferguson advances what James Mtume termed “sophistifunk” with a modern twist. While Zo! could have been classified as a beatmaker based on his early hip-hop releases and productions for others in the first few years of the 2000s, he has always been a musician first. Foremost a keyboardist, yet one who also plays bass, drums, and guitar, and writes, arranges, and produces his own material, Zo! also branched out with music for documentaries and television, ranging from the animated series Black Dynamite to Making SkyBreak and Black White & Blue. He has since teamed with Tall Black Guy to deliver the albums Abstractions (2021) and Expansions (2026).

The story of Terrel Wallace (Tall Black Guy – TBG), and his love for music begins in Detroit, Mi. From a child, his soul was fed a healthy diet of Motown, jazz, and early Hip Hop. It was from these sounds where TBG developed an ear for soulful chords, smooth melodies, and chest hitting drums. Through this catalog of productions filled with incredibly clever samples, and deft original chops, his musical message has connected with fans across the globe including DJ Jazzy Jeff, Gilles Peterson (who subsequently included him on one of his Brownswood Bubblers albums), Lefto, Questlove, and countless others.