Results for "Jazz Funk Soul"

Grace Kelly

Born: May 15, 1992

As Grace Kelly defiantly reminds us on The Other One, a standout number from her upcoming

Album, Trying To Figure It Out, she’s not looking to be like anyone else. “Got my own thing,” she sings over the song’s urban, trance-like groove. Although the singer and saxophone player has been acclaimed by critics and audiences alike as a jazz musician, the track’s exhilarating chorus, haunting keyboard hook and brittle electro edge show an artist interested only in playing what she loves labels be damned.

While a current Kelly concert might delight jazz purists with Great American Songbook standards, it could just as easily inspire mainstream listeners with Gracei-fied takes on the likes of Daft Punk’s Get Lucky, Coldplay’s Magic or Sia’s Chandelier.

Jason McGuiness

Infused in LA's jazz scene, Jason was a regular at the Piano Bar & Blue Whale where LA's rising talent would come to celebrate the music they loved. It was here that Jason first met with prolific saxophonist Kamasi Washington. In 2014 Jason recorded with Kamasi on an EP called Masterpiece. The 3 track EP featured new arrangements of classic tracks from The Temptations and was dedicated to the songwriting/producing duo behind it, Norman Whitfield & Barret Strong. 

In 2019 Jason released his debut album, Empyrean Tones, an exploration of cosmic jazz featuring some of the greatest musicians of our times: Phil Ranelin, Kamasi Washington, Keyon Harrold, Randal Fisher, Mark de Clive-Lowe, and more. The following year he released his sophomore album, Passages, together with frequent collaborator Matthew Little, along with Keyon Harrold, Camila George, Phil Ranelin, and others.

Roland Guerin

Born: November 15, 1968

With a new band and a new project entitled PROG:FUNK, New Orleans based singer-songwriter-bassist Roland Guerin is starting a new musical chapter. Drawing from a wide spectrum of genres, including American folk, blues, zydeco, rock and jazz, Guerin creates a singular style at the heart of which are stories told through multi-layered melodies, rhythms and expressive lyrics in the range of Steely Dan, Sting and Peter Gabriel. 

Raised in a musical family – his father was a great lover of jazz and classical music, his mother, a blues and zydeco bass player – Guerin began playing bass at the age of 11. Throughout his formative years, Guerin was strongly influenced by pop, rock and R&B music of the 70’s and 80’s. Bands and artists such as Cameo, Dazz Band, Rush, the Brothers Johnson, Gerry Rafferty, America, and Booker T & The MG’s seeded his love for great songs and inspired him to write music of his own. 
  
While studying Marketing at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Guerin joined legendary jazz educator Alvin Batiste’s Band, The Jazztronauts. Having inherited much of Batiste’s musical innovations and concepts, Guerin developed ways to bring his own musical voice to life. The jazz genre became his avenue toward success. Over the course of his career, Guerin toured and performed with legendary musicians, such as George Benson, Jimmy Scott, Frank Morgan, Vernel Fournier, Gerry Mulligan, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, John Scofield, Mark Whitfield, Ellis Marsalis, Marcus Roberts, and Paul Gilbert. He also participated in the recording of numerous albums, including the Blind Boys of Alabama’s Grammy Award winning album Down in New Orleans, Marcus Roberts’s Grammy Award nominated recording of George Gershwin’s classic Rhapsody in Blue, and Allen Toussaint’s album Connected. 
  
As a member of the Marcus Roberts Trio from 1994 to 2009, Guerin performed at the head of symphony orchestras across the world, among which the Berlin Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, and Seiji Ozawa’s New Japan Philharmonic. From his collaboration with Ozawa and Roberts, Guerin developed a deeper understanding and appreciation of orchestration and arrangement, both of which carry great importance in his own musical composition. 
  
In 1998, Guerin released his first album, The Winds of the New Land, featuring Peter Martin on piano, Nicholas Payton on trumpet, Donald Edwards on drums, and Mark Whitfield on guitar. The record was acclaimed for its innovative style of composition and arrangement. JazzReview called it "a literal piece of art", while the New Orleans Magazine named Guerin a Contemporary Jazz All-Star. He followed up with an album from the Roland Guerin Sextet, Live at the Blue Note, released by Half Note Records, and Grass Roots on Louisiana Red Hot Records. Guerin performs with his own band at major venues and festivals worldwide, such as the Blue Note in Tokyo and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. 
  
Guerin joined the Allen Toussaint Band in 2008, touring and performing with Toussaint until his passing in 2015. Soon thereafter, Guerin joined the band of legendary Dr. John, becoming his last Musical Director. During his time with Toussaint and Dr. John, Guerin found his way back to his musical roots. Integrating American folk melodies, blues, zydeco, African rhythms, and rock with jazz soloing and orchestral arrangements, Guerin creates an entirely new and singular musical experience.

Bombastic Meatbeats Featuring Chad Smith

Remember the good old days, when jazz-fusion wasn't all about showing off your chops, and was more about creating sweeping moods, and the importance of songwriting? Well, the Bombastic Meatbats certainly remember those days. Having obviously studied the classic early-to-mid '70s recordings of such fusion greats as Return to Forever and Jeff Beck, the group (which includes such members as Grammy winning Red Hot Chili Peppers/Chickenfoot drummer Chad Smith, guitarist Jeff Kollman, keyboardist Ed Roth, and bassist Kevin Chown), is back with their sophomore full-length album. Aptly titled, "More Meat," the album is jam-packed follow-up to last year's critically acclaimed "Meet the Meatbats," and once more, is released by Warrior Records via Universal Music Group Distribution

Cobbs

Cobbs is a fusion jazz group hailing from Brooklyn, New York City. The group was founded in
early 2022 and is led by award-winning drummer Ben Friedkin. Completing the group are renowned keyboardist/pianist Julia Chen, innovative guitarist Omri Bar-Giora and virtuoso bassist Noam Tanzer.
Cobbs began as a tribute act to the fusion jazz greats, and overtime, through developing a
close musical connection within the band, shifted its focus to original music, with materials
written by all group members.
Their debut EP "First Attempt" (recorded live in Brooklyn) was released on November 2023.

Ron Bosse

Boston-based guitarist and composer Ron Bosse has appeared throughout the United States and Canada, and has performed and recorded with jazz greats Dave Liebman, Bob Mintzer, Lil’ John Roberts, Jeff Lorber, Norman Brown, Ben Shepherd, Gary Novak, MonoNeon, Hadrien Feraud, Jimmy Haslip, Sonny Emory, Bob Reynolds, Mike Stern, George Garzone and Jerry Bergonzi. Ron has been praised for his work in Jazz Times, Downbeat, Jazz Now, Guitar Player Magazine, the Boston Globe and the New York Times.

A graduate of Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, Ron has been an active player and bandleader for many years. In 1994, he was voted “Outstanding Guitarist” by Guitar Player Magazine who called him “a master in the making.” 

Greg Fundis

Born: September 25, 1977

Greg Fundis is a highly sought-after Chicago-based drummer known for bringing energy, groove and chops to his live performances spanning a multitude of musical genres. Currently touring with internationally known tribute group Led Zeppelin 2 as well as world renowned guitarist Fareed Haque, he has shared the stage throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Israel, Caribbean Islands, Indonesia and Japan along side other notable artists such as George Benson, Joey DeFrancesco, Paquito D'Rivera, Roy Hargrove, Louis Bellson, comedian Rich Little, Joe Lovano, Bob Brookmeyer, Tom Harrell & Tony Monaco.  
Greg has been recognized in Downbeat Magazine as a notable jazz alumnus holding a Masters Degree in Jazz Studies from DePaul University in Chicago and a Bachelors from Millikin University. While at Millikin, Fundis became an internationally published percussion composer at the age of 19 with his book of compositions, "Contemporary Audition Solos for Percussion"(Studio 4 Music/MostlyMarimba). His teachers and mentors have included Steve Smith, Louis Bellson, Jim Chapin, Steve Houghton, Brian Justison and Kim Klickna.
In addition to relentless performing, Fundis is a music educator, ensemble director and clinician in the Chicago area where he has held positions at Roosevelt and DePaul universities and currently teaches percussion classes at Whitney Young High School and coordinates world percussion activities for over 3,000 area youth with JCC of Chicago.
Greg Fundis plays Ludwig drums, Paiste cymbals, Vic Firth sticks, Humes and Berg cases and Remo drum Heads.

Enrico Solazzo

Born: May 8, 1965

Live & Studio: Alex Britti, Franco Califano, Max Pezzali, Renato Carosone, Riccardo Cocciante, Stefano Di Battista, Amedeo Minghi, Fabrizio Moro, Nicky Nicolai, Fontella Bass, Il Rovescio della Medaglia, Fabrizio Bosso, Tollak Ollensted, Daniele Luppi, Vinnie Colaiuta, Michael Thompson, Humberto Gatica, Dario & Giorgio Rosciglione, Lele Melotti, Baptiste Herbin, Dynomite MC, Gumbi Ortiz, Tony Esposito, Roberto Gatto, Ernesto Vitolo, Danilo Rea, Kadir Gonzalez Lopez, Gegè Munari, Lo Van Gorp, John Pena, Rocco Zifarelli, Ronnye Jones, Deitra Farr, Fontella Bass, Aleandro Baldi, Ramona Badescu, Jessica Brando, Elsa Lila, Dario Bandiera, Simone Patrizi, Neffa.

The Filthy Six

The Filthy Six are the most exciting, authentic soul jazz outfit in the UK today and have established themselves as one of the most electric live acts on the scene. Their soaring horns, blistering guitar and gut-wrenching organ are fuelled by one of the hardest grooving rhythm sections around, producing a hip-shakingly powerful mix of jazz, funk and boogaloo, totally in keeping with the finest traditions of the late 60s Blue Note/Prestige sound.

Led by Trumpeter Nick Etwell (Tom Jones/Beck/David Axelrod/Mumford & Sons), this band of musical gunslingers have worked with some of the biggest names in music: Amy Winehouse, Mavis Staples, Ronnie Spector, Mark Ronson, Jill Scott, Jack White, Dionne Warwick, The Foo Fighters, Robbie Williams, Duran Duran, Chrissie Hynde, Noel Gallagher, Disclosure, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Fred Wesley and Spiritualized to name a few. 

Dan Waldman

Guitarist Dan Waldman has paid dues both in Europe and the USA, performing as a sideman with artists such as Jason Marshall, Soul Understated (Bean Clemons / Mavis Swan Poole), Frank Willams / Brotherhood of Breath, The Real Live Show / MC Malik Work, Grupo Lokito, Gnawa All Stars and Celestine - appearing on recordings released by Acid Jazz, Jazz Refreshed, Mark de Clive Lowe and more.

His 2020 debut release as leader  'Sources & Angles', featuring Will Vinson on sax, Kassa Overall on drums and Ryan Berg on bass received a 4 star review in Jazzwise magazine, international radio play and positive reviews elsewhere including The Times and on this site.