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In: BLOG POSTS, Snarky Puppy

LEAF is a non-profit with the mission of connecting CULTURES and creating COMMUNITY through music and arts.  The LEAF Festival takes place twice a year on the site of the old Historic Black Mountain College with a stunning array of rolling hills, lakes, streams, and mountain beauty on hundreds of acres. LEAF scours the globe for artists, musicians, performers and facilitators that are not only masters of their craft, but who also care deeply for the power of arts education and family engagement. (Adapted from The LEAF website. Bold highlights added by FunkCity.net) With the description above, Snarky Puppy (along withContinue Reading

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In: ALBUMS, BLOG POSTS, Terminal West, The New Mastersounds

I like everything about this album – from the title Renewable Energy, to the cover art, to the track titles, to the personnel, to the multiple styles of music presented by the tunes, the broad span of skills that New Mastersounds show, and the span of time I hear from end to end.  It’s like the talented foursome from Leeds, England brought the full range of their collective experience together in one disc.  It’s got stuff from the nearly 50 year old Funk 49 cover (featuring Eddie Roberts on lead vox) to the super 21st century Stash that sounds likeContinue Reading

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In: BLOG POSTS, The New Mastersounds

Always great to see full set vids of the boys from Leeds.  No one does retro funk like The New Mastersouunds.  A nice way to start off the work week.Continue Reading

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In: BLOG POSTS, Snarky Puppy, Variety Playhouse

Snarky Puppy’s second night at the Variety Playhouse was stellar, as usual.  The enthusiastic crowd was treated to a special Ready Wednesday encore featuring a couple of special tricks.  First, Bill Laurance, who penned the tune, opened it up with a dark, gothy Shofukan intro leading into the tune.  Then, at about the seven minute point, Mark Lettieri crushes an extended bluesy, psychedelic guitar solo. Third and unbeknownst to much of the crowd Robert “Sput” Searight was on the drum.  The tune closes out with Bill’s beautiful outro which is also featured on his solo album “Live at Union Chapel”Continue Reading

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In: BLOG POSTS, Snarky Puppy

True to their heritage, Snarky Puppy brought a different lineup, sound and clever set list to the second night of the GroundUP Music Festival on Saturday night.  Bringing Zach Brock (violin) and Bill Laurance (keys) in together nearly guarantees that one or more of Bill’s classic tunes would be played and this time was no different with a splendid rendition of Ready Wednesday. The set was also notable for its excellent highlighting of players solos, in particular, as noted with the set list below: Set list: Flood featuring Nate percussion break GØ – Maz and Bill stretch out Beep Box –Continue Reading

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In: BLOG POSTS, Snarky Puppy

Snarky Puppy is a global phenomena – super popular overseas in Japan, Asia, Europe and Latin America – and totally on point in the U.S. with its extremely knowledgeable fan base.  FunkCity.net recently had the pleasure of attending the second GroundUP Music Festival in Miami Beach which is produced by the band and its label.  The fest brings together a eclectic mix of music that you will not hear anywhere else on the planet.  It’s a mix of Snarky Puppy sets, GroundUP label mates and bands that you may or may not have heard of but that you should knowContinue Reading

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In: ALBUMS, BLOG POSTS, Snarky Puppy

If you have ever seen, wanna see, or wanna hear Snarky Puppy at it’s wild and craziest, funkiest, longest live track ever, then buy this live show and listen to Binky, a 30-minute show within a show.  The second half of the tune featured Shaun Martin’s Go-Go Party in a medley that makes my pulse race for the countdown to the GroundUP Music Festival when that will be one of the first night late nite sets.  The medley rides from We Want the Funk (Parliament-Funkadelic) to Party & Bullshit to Thank You Falletin Me Be Myself  to Shout! and rightContinue Reading

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In: BLOG POSTS, Naughty Professor, Variety Playhouse

Naughty Professor lit up the crowd, as usual, in Atlanta opening on New Years Eve for TAUK.  The headliner also featured the Naughty Horns.  Here’s a 40 minute segment from the show: Partial set video from setlist below (*not recorded): Without a Trace* As They Say In The Biz Prune Juice* Knockwurst “Fiends”* Three Wise Men* Chef’s Revenge Psycho Switch ix Paper Joint Naughty Professor are: Ian Bowman – tenor saxophone John Culbreth – trumpet Bill Daniel – guitar Nick Ellman – alto and baritone saxophones Sam Shahin – drumsContinue Reading

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In: The Budos Band

Looking forward to (someday) seeing The Budos Band live again.  New album coming in 2018! Musician’s Friend chats with Mike Deller and Daniel Foder of the Budos Band about their stage and studio gear, and the importance of throwing things away. Source: Q&A with Mike Deller & Daniel Foder of The Budos Band | The HUBContinue Reading

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In: BLOG POSTS, The Motet, Variety Playhouse

Mopapod? Dopatet?  The double bill of Dopapod + The Motet at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta on 11/18 promised to be a funk extravaganza as it was the last of the pairing of these two bands on the tour.  The pumped up crowd was stoked from Dopapod’s opening (Dopapod opening tune on YouTube) right to the superjam at the end (The Motet + Dopapod, This is How We Do It on YouTube). Dopapod  recently released their fifth studio album, Megagem and has been on tour with The Motet for a few weeks.  After a New Year’s Eve show in Boston, the groupContinue Reading