Ivan Bodley

Ivan "Funkboy " Bodley is bass player and musical director to the stars. He has performed with 24 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame™ inductees and counting. He is musical director for Sam Moore, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, The Shirelles, The Crystals, The Tokens and has performed with: Sting, Elvis Costello, The Temptations, Solomon Burke, Ben E. King, Percy Sledge, Eddie Floyd, Rufus & Carla Thomas, Bo Diddley, Buster Poindexter, The Uptown Horns, Paul Rodgers, Wynonna Judd, and David Foster.

Appearances include: Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Today Show, Emeril Live, Imus in the Morning, Charlie Rose Show, Live with Regis & Kelly, Creative Coalition Obama Inaugural Ball, Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, and Israel Symphony Orchestra.

Ivan is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the Berklee College of Music. To date, he has traveled to 26 countries around the world and played to audiences of up to 30,000 people in performance settings ranging from jazz duos to 150-member symphony orchestras.

"Pigs Feet & Potted Meat" is Funkboy’s third recording as bandleader. It is feel-good funky music, unapologetically buoyant and fun. It ministers to the human condition, soothes the soul, and penetrates all shields, surfaces, and obstacles. It’s soul-jazz that even has jam-band crossover appeal.

With Jim Dower on keyboards and Joe Goretti on drums, Ivan & company travel the world together backing Sam Moore, The Temptations, Martha Reeves and other royalty of soul music. On days off back in New York City, the trio creates instrumental groove music that might result if The Meters joined Lou Donaldson and Ramsey Lewis for a jam session. There's plenty of pithy jazz harmony and arranging for the intellectually minded. But there are NO prerequisites for enjoying this music. Everything is rooted firmly in the groove. The songs evolved very organically during the trio's creative writing and recording sessions every week or so at Joey's house.

"Pigs Feet & Potted Meat" is equally nutritious for the cerebrum and for the booty. It is a healthy part of a balanced diet. Use only as directed. Void where prohibited. Shake well. Apply liberally.

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