Turkuaz, a fun filled funk band out of Brooklyn, NY who are infamous for their matching jumpsuits are playing at The Westcott Theatre in Syracuse on December 11. This large family consists of 8 members; Dave Brandwein on guitar and vocals, Taylor Shell play the bass, Craig Brodhead on guitar and synths, Michelangelo Carubba on drums, Greg Sanderson plays saxophone, Joshua Schwartz also on saxophone and vocals, Chris Brouwers trumpet and keyboard, lastly Sammi Garett, vocals and tambourine. Despite the size of the band, these multi-talented musicians have a unique chemistry amongst themselves. This celebration starts on Thursday, December the 11 at 8pm. Annie in the Water and Ocupanther open up the night. Get your tickets here.
Category: Funk/Soul/R&B
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Montbleau Brings Exciting Lineup to Saratoga Springs
If you go to a Ryan Montbleau show and you leave with both your face and feet hurting, you know it was a good one. It’s that type of sound that is upbeat and fun to dance to, but it’s also uplifting, it’s honest, it’s real, it’s those often simple yet insightful lyrics that can connect and bring a smile to your face for the duration of the set. It’s a blend of the most feel good parts of folk, soul, and rock, that has found a nice, cozy, welcoming home in the jam band world.
After the Ryan Montbleau Band split up at the end of 2013, fans were nervous, curious and excited to see what type of project he’d jump into next. For those fearing a complete change, that they would no longer hear old favorites live, it seems there couldn’t have been a better outcome. Over the past year Montbleau has called upon a rotating cast of musicians to accompany him, in some cases for entire tours, at times only for a show or two.The lineup on hand at the Den was truly a treat: Beau Sasser on keys, John Kimock on drums, Marc Friedman on bass, and Mike Dillon on vibraphone/percussion. If you ever see a lineup that says “featuring Mike Dillon on vibraphone” go, just go. After becoming familiar with his unique style in previous Les Claypool side projects, hearing those sounds over those nice Montbleau melodies put a completely different twist on the sound. Sasser brought some serious funk on the keys, and the Kimock/Friedman rhythm section held down the base of whichever direction the band decided to go, proving to be incredibly solid, yet fluid when needed.
Saturday night at the Putnam Den, Montbleau’s demeanor throughout the set showed that he was reinvigorated, genuinely happy and excited to be pushing his songs, and himself, in new directions. He proved to be on point both being a band leader, and member. Guiding the rest of the band with subtle cues of where he wanted the music go, but being generous with letting everyone else take the spotlight from time to time, showcasing the admirable level of musicianship the group of men brought to the stage. Songs stayed true to structure, while morphing in style just enough to give them new life. Every so often the smile on Montbleau’s face lit up the room as Dillion or Sasser grabbed one of his songs and put a healthy dose of their own signature flavor on it, perhaps taking it to places even he didn’t know it could go.
The set was definitely a crowd-pleaser, the packed dance floor at the Putnam Den barely stopped moving throughout the night as the band played through favorites such as “Dead Set”, “Eggs”, “I Can’t Wait”, and “75 and Sunny”. As the rest of the band took a short set break, Montbleau remained on stage for three solo acoustic songs, playing “Chariot” with many in the crowd singing along before welcoming the band back on stage. Commenting that “it’s nice to come to Saratoga, where the crowd sings all the songs back”, Montbleau let the crowd know he doesn’t forget that a stop in Saratoga always means a full room and a party loving group of music fans. Before closing out the show, the night’s opening act, Jesse Dee, was brought up on stage to join in on a couple of songs. His big, soulful voice helped fill the room with warmth. There was also a surprise visit from moe.’s Vinnie Amico, who lives locally, joining Dillon on percussion. The group performed the Beatles classic “With A Little Help From My Friends”, which in some circumstances could receive an eye roll due to a “this song again!?” reaction from a crowd, but on this night it got a pass. It could sum up the evening’s performance, and perhaps even Montbleau’s current touring band situation, as he picks up friends and musicians as he traverses the country town to town, gaining from them help and inspiration.
With the always changing group of musicians, now there is perhaps more reason than ever to catch a Ryan Montbleau show wherever, and whenever you can. Because while the songs may remain the same, the sound and the energy is in a constant state of growth that seems to be as exciting for the people in front of the stage, as it is for the performers on it.
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Freekbass and ‘The Bump Assembly’ Turn Up the Heat in Allentown
A lot of bands say they have a hard time giving it their all at shows with poor turnouts. Freekbass and his band, The Bump Assembly, do not fall into this category.Many local and national artists who have played in Buffalo, NY over the years have learned that competing against a Buffalo Bills game is not an easy task. That being said, when I walked into Duke’s Bohemian Grove Bar (DBGB’s) on Thursday Nov 13 to watch Freekbass lay down his impressive slap bass licks and unmistakable funk sound, I was greeted by an overwhelming crowd of diehard Bills fans who had completely taken over the bar and restaurant, forcing Freekbass and his band to postpone their set until the game’s conclusion. And upon finally starting their first song, they were playing to a crowd of about 15 people, including NYS Music photographer Meredith Snow and myself
But did this stop them from putting on a captivating live show? Absolutely not.
The funkadelic three-piece treated the audience to their enraptured stage presence and dance routines, which could only be described as being choreographed by the Blues Brothers themselves. Nothing could stop them from presenting themselves and the music they love the way they wanted to do it. They probably would’ve done the same had they only been performing for the sound guy and bartender.
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It’s work ethic and dedication like that, that makes bands truly stand out. Their musicianship is uncanny and their collective heart is just as apparent and powerful. I would recommend them to any avid funk, r & b, or hip hop listener. Freekbass’ new album is called Everybody’s Feelin’ Real. Its been available online on bandcamp for the last three months – if you’re a fan of anything that falls into the space-groove funktronica category – go download a copy immediately.
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Hearing Aide: Big Ol Dirty Bucket: Bucket Express
One of the best things to recently come out of the Boston area is not surprisingly big, loud and dirty. The 10 piece funk band, Big Ol’ Dirty Bucket has come out with a new album, Bucket Express, a collection of modern day noise with a vintage soul that everyone can get down to. The 10 track album features songs with strong vocals alongside 70’s funk and soul melodies with a dash of Latin and hip hop, making it the ideal album for any social gathering. The album features members from Parliament Funkadelic, Fishbone and Galactic, who were big influences on BODB from day one.The album starts with the booming funk of the brass section and ear grabbing vocals by Sarah ‘Lil Shrimp’ Seminski on “Mr. Boom Boom” with classic rock n roll guitar riffs and rhythm that instantly set the bar high for the rest of the album. “Real MC” features stand out back to back solos from each brass section for a jazz infused flavor with organ chilling chords as spitting fluid vocal work starts for a modern hip hop twist. “Miz Green” brings out the funk with heavy bass notes, electronic beat bops and the sensual and powerful stylings of Seminski. The album’s title song, “Bucket Express”, gives great representation of the group with the rhythm of a locomotive that builds up the energy with hip hop melodies and spotlight work on each instrument for a funk free for all. “Boss Hogg” squeezes the juice out of that organ and serious guitar shredding proves that they are their own boss. “Can’t Get No Release” has harmonious vocals singing powerful lyrics of growth with the band providing crescendo after crescendo of soul.
The romance starts to heat up on “Get To Know You Better” with dreamy key work, hot drum work and straight forward lyrics of passion. “Fine Fly Woman” has frequent buildups with fast strumming that gets those hips swinging. The album starts to wind down with its last two tracks as “Central Ave Blues” with a big city, back alley night club kinda feel. “Vidalia” is a serious slow groove in comparison to the rest of the heart racing tracks but it stretches out Seminski’s gorgeous vocal range, making it the perfect come down to the album.
Bucket Express is easy to have on repeat and helps to forget the weight of the world with the heavy funk. Big Ol’ Dirty Bucket has an unmistakable ear for creating a fresh fusion of sound that appeals to generations across the spectrum as each track is a stand-alone piece of delight and surprise. After this past Halloween, keyboardist Brett Badolato and singer Sarah Seminski have parted ways with the band but The Bucket shall continue on with their journey of funk. There will be some big shoes to fill for sure but we hope that the Big Ol’ Dirty Bucket finds themselves somewhere in Upstate NY for the new year ahead.
Key Tracks: Bucket Express, Can’t Get No Release, Vidalia
Bucket Express is available for free streaming on Soundcloud as well as clicking here for their website plus live performances too.
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Michelle Renee and Local Female Vocalists Serenade the Lost Horizon
Imagine you have a singers voice, a deep love for making music, and a desire to share wisdom through lyrics. You know that a voice by itself often needs some accompaniment to truly be heard. So you learn guitar. You then start writing complete songs and playing them for people wherever you can. Fast forward, and in a few years, you are requesting a spot on the highly celebrated and well-attended local festival – Sterling Stage – and you get the spot. As things progress you realize that your dream is not complete without a means for more people to hear your music. So you pull together some talented friends, and voila! In three months, you put out a LP, via the premier Syracuse recording studio- SubCat Studios.
But in order for people to really get excited about the album, you know you will have to give people a live experience first. So you book your first big show (that you happen to be headlining) at a well-known, long-established venue in Syracuse, the Lost Horizon. But that isn’t enough. You know that for others, your vision and message might not convince them to buy a ticket to your show. They want to be entertained all night with different types of music. So you pull together even more friends, including a stage-grabbing young upstart (Riley Mahan), a band of ambitious young composer/performers (Early Bird), and a funky veteran band (Root SHOCK) that you know will make them dance the hours away. And, it all goes down without a hitch.
This is the story of the fiercely driven, big-dreaming Michelle Renee, whose Reflections album debut party November 7 at the Lost Horizon culminated the realization of a vision and brought out over 150 people from the community to enjoy it. And enjoy it they most certainly did.
The lineup for Michelle’s party began with Early Bird, a self-described progressive/folk/indie-pop band that actually held up to the appellation of “progressive.” Their vocal harmonies were adventurous, carefully composed, and stylistically diverse. Although there were moments where intonation wasn’t perfect, Sheralyn Wellman, Katherine O’Leary and Aaron Walters (who also played lead guitar) gained “Hella” respect points for their musical bravery, intellectual creativity and diligence in writing and performing this level of vocal music. Guitarist Aaron Walters mirrored this well-trained yet genre-defying theme with his tasteful and seldom-simple chord progressions. This was best demonstrated on the hauntingly beautiful, finger-picked arpeggiation in the tune “Lullaby,” from the Early Bird EP. In reflecting on this young band, a much-loved, incredibly skilled “progressive” indie band was immediately brought to mind as similar in structure and writing style. The Dirty Projectors, an indie cult favorite, also base their songs on shared vocal harmonies between a soprano, alto, and tenor voice, the last of which (in both bands) happens to be the guitarist. Early Bird also followed suit with the Dirty Projectors in regards to their trans-genre songs, highly composed harmonies, and usage of intentional vocal dissonance. Bravo!
Early Bird’s performance provided a seamless transition to Michelle Renee’s act, as every member of Early Bird (besides singer Katherine O’Leary) assisted in backing up Michelle for the full band experience of her debut album, Reflections. Michelle’s music was written in a folk/soul/singer-songwriter style, but as she worked with a full band to release her album, the sound evolved to incorporate undeniable rock/pop elements. This ensured that Michelle’s unique, soulful, rich, almost choral vocal parts were held up by a solid rhythm section, vocal harmonies and a rock ‘n’ soul energy that got folks dancing. Michelle’s songs were catchy, solidly performed, and included moments of sorrowful sweetness that shut the crowd up to the degree that you could hear a pin drop.
Michelle came prepared with some secret weapons too, including “shredding” violin solos by guest musician Brandon Gosson, vocal harmonies by the angelic voice of Sheralyn Wellman, and cover collaborations with a petite young lady that made you ask, “did that just come out of her?”, Riley Mahan. Michelle teamed up with Sheralyn for a bluesy rendition of “Give Me One Reason” by Tracy Chapman and a high energy cover of “Long Train Running” by the Doobie Brothers. She then passed the mic to Riley as she took the lead on covers of “Mercy” (Duffy), “Dock of the Bay” (Otis Redding) and “I Want You Back” (Jackson 5). Riley’s voice never fails to stun listeners, as her grasp of R&B/soul improvisation and runs (think young Aretha meets Winehouse), and her raw energy evoke the image of a singer far beyond the tender age of 19. At the apex of Michelle’s act, she re-took the lead with Sheralyn, and brought down the house with the classic CCR (and later Tina Turner) tune, “Proud Mary.” Michelle let out her sassy side for this tune by announcing to the crowd, “First we’re going to do it nice. Then, we’re going to do it nice and rough.” Michelle started with an innovative, almost eerie, ambient introduction. She then came in full-force with her sexy, soul-woman alto sound backed up by some rockin’ instrumentals. Tina would have done a double-take for sure.
The third act was the Syracuse-born, party-proven, soul/roots-rock Reggae band, Root SHOCK. Root SHOCK was the perfect conclusion for a night of of female-led groups. Jessica Brown “came correct,” as she always does, with a mature, soul-shaking vocal strength, and a band that never fails to hit that funky groove right away. Although many folks that came to support Early Bird and Michelle Renee chose to leave after Michelle finished, everyone that has heard Root SHOCK knew better. Those that stayed were in store for a few hours of danceable, sing-a-long, soulful good music. And Root SHOCK delivered. Root SHOCK also knew that an audience relishes fun covers, so they made sure to include some greats, such as a reggae/ska version of Mike Snow’s “Animal,” the funky classic “Use Me” by Bill Withers, and for us local Reggae nerds, “Rough Cuddle” by Syracuse/NYC’s own Morning Sun and the Essentials.
Besides playing some lovely music, Michelle Renee’s album debut party demonstrated the grace, drive, maturity and confidence characteristic of a veteran performer and musician. Besides orchestrating and organizing the whole thing herself, Michelle comfortably and humbly acknowledged the crowd and members of her band throughout the show, thanking them for their undying support and love. It was a heartwarming experience to witness her project and vision truly coming to fruition in all regards. Where there is a vision, there’s a way. Congrats Michelle!
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Funk Sessions at Putnam Den with The New Mastersounds
The Heard opened a night of funk at Putnam Den, bringing blazing Chicago funk along with them courtesy of a solid horn section, who would later join The New Mastersounds for a few numbers. With guitarist Eddie Roberts leading the ultratight rhythm section, the night was full of instrumental funk that dipped into various subgenres of their signature sound, including funk of the late 60’s and early 70’s, surf rock, boogie, disco and Sly and the Family Stone-level peaks when accompanied by the horns. Little is left on the stage when the Leeds quartet plays and Saratoga Springs was fortunate to have such high caliber musicians in town. Here’s hoping to a quick return to the Capital Region. Check out their new album Therapy and see them in 2015 when they likely return to the Northeast for festival dates.
Setlist: Soulshine, All I Want, MRG, Yo Moma, Each to their own, This ain’t work, Pure, MM’s, Upstairs*, Fast Man*, Surfin, Burnt Back, Freckles>Be Yourself>Knees, 33*, Nervous*
Encore: 20 minutes of funk
*with The Heard horns
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Alan Evans Playonbrother is No More
In a sad announcement indeed, Alan Evans Playonbrother has announced they are going on an indefinite hiatus. Alan – a Buffalo native – is well known as the drummer/co-founder of the wildly popular Soulive.
Alan Evans Playonbrother Citing an endless unfortunate string of vehicular expenses Alan released the following statement:
“I have a family to feed and bills to pay, just like everybody else. I need to focus on Soulive and my engineering and producing work to pay off the debt that has piled up through this series of van troubles. I have been investing everything I make with Soulive in Playonbrother and my studio. I have built two bands already, and Playonbrother is something I really wanted to work, and I was cool with not making money playing the shows while we were growing the audience, but this is a different matter and I can’t afford to continue this.”
“Without the fans’ support, we wouldn’t have gotten this far. It’s tough building a band, and I have mad respect for the young bands out there working the road. I have done that my whole life, and I am fortunate to have Soulive to focus on. Speaking of building bands, I have to give serious props to my manager, Tom Baggott, for his support and vision. He has showed over the years that he can pick winners, and his team at Hoplite have showed me what development strategy and dedication are all about. They are pros and they get it. More than anything, though, I want to thank Danny and Kris. These cats are serious players and they stuck with this. Dudes that good will definitely land on their feet, though, and I cannot recommend them enough. We have some great shows coming up and we’re going out on a positive note.”
The trio will finish work and release the music for what will be presumably their last release. While some previously scheduled November tour dates have been canceled, there are still a handful of chances in November and December to see this ridiculously talented band. Good luck Alan, Danny and Kris!
Alan Evans Playonbrother – Final Shows
11.14 | Bear Creek Music Festival | Live Oak, FL
11.21 | Gramercy Theatre | New York, NY with DOPAPOD
11.22 | Pearl Street Club Room | Northampton, MA
12.04 | Montage Music Hall | Rochester, NY with SPIRITUAL REZ
12.06 | Keswick Theatre | Glenside, PA with TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND
12.05 | Funk N Waffles | Syracuse, NY
12.08 | Count Basie Theatre | Red Bank, NJ with TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND
12.09 | Bryce Jordan Center | University Park, PA with TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND
12.10 | The 8×10 | Baltimore, MD – very special show featuring one original set and an additional set dedicated to the music of CREAM!
12.11 | Carpenter Theatre | Richmond, VA with TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND -
Freekbass Brings His Special Brand of Funk to Buffalo
Photo by Sonya Ziegler Freekbass has been reinventing funk music for years, cultivating his own sound after having been birthed in Southern Ohio’s already rich funk scene. If you haven’t heard his sound yet, don’t make the mistake of assuming that he’ll turn out to be just another George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic. His cutting-edge take on the genre he loves truly sets him apart from his musical touchstones.
His style of funk bass playing brings an infectious bombardment of super low-end grooves and popping signature slap bass arrangements that ensure his albums and live performances aren’t soon forgotten.
On Thursday, Nov. 13, Freekbass is bringing his CD release party to DBGBs (Duke’s Bohemian Grove Bar) on Allen St. in downtown Buffalo. His new album is called Everybody’s Feelin’ Real, which is just another testament to his already well-known arsenal of heavy-hitting synthesizers and extreme bass licks, the combination of which can only be described as space-groove funktronica.
So, if you find yourself craving a generous helping of new age funk this Thursday night, the likes of which will make you believe you’re watching Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Sly and the Family Stone all performing at the same time, along with Freekbass’s incomparable style of electric bass playing, get yourself down to DBGBs! The show starts at 9 pm.
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Lettuce Funks up Upstate Concert Hall
Lettuce spent a funky Tuesday night in Clifton Park on their fall tour through New York and the rest of the Northeast.
The Upstate Concert Hall gig started out with a fun set from Exmag, a three-piece electronic act from Brooklyn that likes to call their music things like “future-funk” and “future-soul.” They included samples from songs like Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” in their act and had heads bobbing.
Then Lettuce took the stage, and the crowd really started to get down. The Brooklyn-based funk group tore through a setlist full of old favorites and new jams that forced everyone in the venue to get up and dance.
Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff and Erick “Jesus” Coomes lead the band on guitar and bass, respectively, but the horn duo of Ryan Zoidis and Eric Bloom really laid down the funk. Neal Evans’ keys and Adam Deitch’s drums tied the sound together. A highlight was when a female vocalist with a crazy set of pipes joined the band on stage for a few songs, giving the tunes an extra edge and power.
Catch Lettuce November 15 at Bear Creek Music Festival in Florida, at Brooklyn Bowl in early December, or hit up one of their shows on their recently announced January-February tour across the country.
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Michelle Renee’s Reflections Album Debut
Syracuse local folk/rock/soul singer-songwriter Michelle Renee is excited to announce the live, full-band debut of her forthcoming album, Reflections, on Friday, November 7 at The Lost Horizon. This event will be the only opportunity to experience Reflections with all of the musicians who appear on the album, serving as a special sneak-peak in Michelle Renee’s farewell performance before moving to the West Coast. The event will also feature a host of local folk, rock, soul, and reggae acts, all led by female vocalists. Heartstrings beware: you may be tugged at.Early Bird will kick things off at 8PM with their magical two-and-three-part harmonies, followed by a one-time only, full-band debut of Reflections. Joining Michelle for her performance will be Aaron Walters on guitar and piano, Sam Roux on bass, Gavin George on drums, Brendan Gosson on violin, and Riley Mahan on back-up vocals. Riley will also be taking center stage to show off her incredible pipes before Root SHOCK’s soulful vocals, good vibes, and Reggae beats have us all dancing the night away.
Best known for her tremendously unique voice, Michelle Renee’s expressive lyrics are intensified by her distinct vibrato, colored by a low, rich timbre and transcendent soprano overtones. With the production support of Aaron Walters; dynamic piano, bass, electric guitar, violin and drum arrangements now augment Michelle’s originally acoustic renditions, purposefully echoing a mixture of genres to tie into the overarching theme of the album, ‘We Reverberate.’
Michelle Renee According to Michelle, “I am most interested in music that juxtaposes a danceable beat with thought-provoking lyrics to draw attention to larger societal questions of morality and personal power. Behind every song is a story. Rather than adhere to a specific genre, musical accompaniments were composed to enhance each story and bring listeners into that world.”
In addition to Michelle’s refreshingly authentic vocals, listeners will be greeted with abstract drum grooves, heart-wrenching piano ballads, and driving rhythms; threaded together to create a mosaic of sound unified in its call for a higher consciousness.
Born and raised in Baldwinsville/Syracuse, Michelle’s love for music has brought her to venues including Sterling Stage Music Festival, and to various bars and restaurants around CNY, where she often performs solo on acoustic guitar.
Early Bird Early Bird is a progressive/folk/indiepop trio that finds inspiration from a wide variety of musical styles such as jazz, rock, funk, American traditional, Irish traditional and classical music. The band features robust, emotionally powerful lyrics written by lead vocalist Katherine O’Leary and vocalist/pianist Sheralyn Wellman, along with a strong harmonic and rhythmic backbone from guitarist/vocalist/percussionist Aaron Walters. The incorporation of intricate musical elements within an accessible sound is ever-present in Early Bird’s music.
Early Bird’s magic lies within the strength of the carefully constructed two and three-part harmonies each member creates, while still maintaining their own unique vocal presence. Its member’s commitment to sharing their sound has brought Early Bird to Ithaca, Syracuse and Binghamton, among other locations throughout New York.
Root SHOCK Central New York’s finest roots rock-reggae/soul party starters, Root SHOCK, formed in winter of 2012 with veteran musicians whose love of reggae music flows deep. This group seamlessly blends roots Reggae, dancehall, heavy drum and bass, and soulful vocals into positive dance music that makes you want to move. Root SHOCK’s groovy sound has become a staple of the Syracuse downtown bar and coffee-house scene (Al’s Wine and Whiskey Lounge, Funk ‘n Waffles) and cultural events throughout the city (Westcott Theater, Westcott Cultural Fair). Lister be advised: powerhouse frontwoman Jessica Brown is a wolf (or fox?) in sheep’s clothing her sweet and humble stage presence is contrasted sharply by her raw, riveting, fiery sound that is sure to get you out of your seat.
With so many talented female vocalists under one roof, this will surely be a night to remember!
Michelle Renee’s Reflections Debut Party,
with Special Guests Riley Mahan, Early Bird, and Root Shock
Friday, November 7th, 2014
Doors: 7:00PM / Show 8:00PM
The Lost Horizon
Syracuse, NY
Tickets: $10
This event is all ages.Event links:
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