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The New Mastersounds

In the late 1990’s, guitarist and producer Eddie Roberts was running a club night in Leeds called “The Cooker.” When The Cooker moved into a new venue with a second floor in 1999, there was space and the opportunity to put a live band together to complement the DJ sets. Simon Allen and Eddie had played together in 1997 as The Mastersounds, though with a different bassist and no organ. Through friends and the intimate nature of the Leeds music scene, Pete Shand and Bob Birch were added on bass and Hammond respectively, and The New Mastersounds were born. Though it was raw, and more of a boogaloo sound at first, it was powerful from the start. Their first rehearsal was hot enough for Blow it Hard Records to release on two limited-edition 7” singles in 2000.

Fast-forward 15 years and the recorded catalogue boasts 24 more 7” singles, 9 studio albums, 2 live albums, 1 remix album and 3 compilation albums, released variously in UK, USA and Japan, where they continue to tour extensively. Joe Tatton, another veteran of the Leeds scene, joined back in 2007, replacing Bob Birch on organ and piano.

As a band, and as individuals, they have collaborated or jammed with an impressive array of musicians DJs and producers, including: Lou Donaldson (Blue Note), Corinne Bailey Rae (EMI), Quantic (Tru Thoughts), Carleen Anderson (Young Disciples / Brand New Heavies), Keb Darge & Kenny Dope (Kay Dee Records), John Arnold (Ubiquity), Mr Scruff (Ninja Tune), Snowboy (Ubiquity), Fred Everything (2020vision), Andy Smith (Portishead), James Taylor (JTQ), LSK (Faithless), Lack of Afro (Freestyle), Page McConnell (Phish), Grace Potter, Karl Denson (The Rolling Stones / Lenny Kravitz), Melvin Sparks (Blue Note Records), Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis & Maceo Parker (JB’s), George Porter Junior, Zigaboo Modeliste, Art Neville (The Meters) and Ernest Ranglin.

As an example of the respect this band commands, Peter Wermelinger - DJ, collector, and author of the crate-diggers’ bible The Funky & Groovy Music Lexicon - places the 2001 NMS track ‘Turn This Thing Around’ in his all-time top-ten tunes, along with the likes of Eddie Harris, Funkadelic, and Herbie Hancock. The New Mastersounds are at the very top of an elite selection of acts that bring the true soul out of funk.


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From the Inside Out

Color Red Records: A Label, Sound, and Vision

Read "Color Red Records: A Label, Sound, and Vision" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki


When Eddie Roberts, leader of The New Mastersounds, moved to Denver, Colorado, in 2015, he discovered a local music scene that contributed to his vision for a new type of music organization: a label that would be more than a label, producing and releasing music that would be more than (good) music--music that would establish a label-specific sound. Roberts took the long road to Color Red Music headquarters on Colorado Boulevard in Denver. Born in Wales, he left ...

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Video / DVD

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: "Shake It" with The New Mastersounds

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: "Shake It" with The New Mastersounds

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week, we're checking out some videos featuring The New Mastersounds, who will be coming to St. Louis to perform next Saturday, October 19 at the Atomic Cowboy Pavilion. A funk/jazz quartet with a stripped-down sound that's been compared to the Meters, Booker T and the MGs, and St. Louis' own Grant Green, The New Mastersounds- guitarist and bandleader Eddie Roberts, drummer Simon Allen, bassist Pete Shand, and keyboardist Joe Tatton- last played here in May 2016, also at Atomic ...

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Performance / Tour

Jazz this week: Freddy Cole & Harry Allen, Eric Marienthal, The New Mastersounds, and more

Jazz this week: Freddy Cole & Harry Allen, Eric Marienthal, The New Mastersounds, and more

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

There are a number of notable shows from visiting jazz and creative music performers coming up this week in St. Louis, offering something for fans of genres ranging from straight-ahead swing to fusion to experimental, free improv, and more. Let's go to the highlights... Wednesday, May 25 Pianist and singer Freddy Cole and his band, teamed once again with tenor saxophonist Harry Allen, return to Jazz at the Bistro for the first evening of a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday. ...

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Video / DVD

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Back to basics with The New Mastersounds

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Back to basics with The New Mastersounds

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week, let's check out some videos of the British funk/jazz quartet The New Mastersounds, who will be performing in St. Louis next Saturday, May 28 at The Bootleg at the Atomic Cowboy. Known for stripped-down funk in the vein of the Meters, Booker T and the MGs, and St. Louis' own Grant Green, The New Mastersounds- guitarist and bandleader Eddie Roberts, drummer Simon Allen, bassist Pete Shand, and keyboardist Joe Tatton- have played here a couple of times before ...

Music Industry

Jazz this week: Adam Larson, Lettuce, Youngblood Brass Band, March Fourth!, The New Mastersounds, and more

Jazz this week: Adam Larson, Lettuce, Youngblood Brass Band, March Fourth!, The New Mastersounds, and more

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in and around St. Louis features a couple of different acts purveying instrumental funk, a saxophone phenom working in the modern jazz mainstream, a mutant marching band, and, as the saying goes, much, much more. Let's go to the highlights... Wednesday, October 14 Up-and-coming saxophonist Adam Larson will play the first of two nights with his quartet at Jazz at the Bistro. Originally from Normal, IL, Larson (pictured, top left) graduated ...

Video / DVD

STLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Meet the New Mastersounds

STLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Meet the New Mastersounds

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

Today, let's get acquainted with the British funk/jazz group The New Mastersounds, who are coming to St. Louis to play on Friday, June 6 at the Old Rock House. Drawing inspiration from the Meters, Booker T and the MGs, 1960s soul-jazz, and James Brown's various rhythm sections, The New Mastersounds were formed in 1999 in Leeds by guitarist/bandleader Eddie Roberts, drummer Simon Allen and bassist Pete Shand, with Joe Totten replacing the original keyboardist in 2007. With more than a ...

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Performance / Tour

The New Mastersounds: SF Album Release Show Tuesday

The New Mastersounds: SF Album Release Show Tuesday

Source: JamBase

CHANCE TO HEAR NEW ALBUM EARLY ALONG WITH OTHER TREATS This Tuesday, July 19th, The New Mastersounds' record release party, where the band will be performing tracks off of the new album in an intimate setting, takes place at the Brick & Mortar Music Hall in San Francisco, CA. With every purchase of an advance ticket, attendees will receive a high quality digital download of the album that will be delivered one week prior to the street date, a free ...

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Performance / Tour

The New Mastersounds: New Album, Summer Dates

The New Mastersounds: New Album, Summer Dates

Source: JamBase

BREAKS FROM THE BORDER OUT AUGUST 9 UK Soulsters The New Mastersounds will be releasing their seventh studio album and first album ever recorded on U.S. soil Breaks from the Border August 9 on Tallest Man Records. This album ushers in a new era in the bands sonic landscape, by topping their unique syncopated grooves with group vocal stylings. Instead of heading back to their home town of Leeds to record, the band took a detour to tiny border town ...

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TV / Film

The New Mastersounds: Coals to Newcastle Screenings

The New Mastersounds: Coals to Newcastle Screenings

Source: JamBase

DOCUMENTARY ABOUT UK FUNKANAUTS Coals to Newcastle: The New Mastersounds: From Leeds To New Orleans will have several screenings this fall, beginning on the West Coast and heading for two premieres along the East Coast before traveling to Leeds for the film's European premiere: Sep 15-19, Temecula Valley Int'l Film and Music Festival, CA Oct 14-17, Royal Flush Film Festival, New York City NY Nov 4-7, Naples International Film Festival, Naples FL Nov 4-21, Leeds International Film Festival, Leeds UK ...

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Performance / Tour

The New Mastersounds: Announce East Coast Tour

The New Mastersounds: Announce East Coast Tour

Source: JamBase

THE NEW MASTERSOUNDS' EAST COAST TOUR BEGINS APRIL 17 INCLUDES DATES WITH PHOENIX, DRAKE, SIERRA LEONE'S REFUGEE ALL STARS

The New Mastersounds The New Mastersounds will be hitting the East Coast this spring. But first, they'll be making a special stop in California to debut their new documentary Coals to Newcastle: The New Mastersounds From Leeds to New Orleans at the Sonoma International Film Festival on April 15. The film, which follows the British funk band's travels, is ...

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Performance / Tour

The New Mastersounds Tour

The New Mastersounds Tour

Source: JamBase

The New Mastersounds U.S. Tour This Fall 2009

The New Mastersounds After the band's most successful year to date, The New Mastersounds will be wrapping up 2009 with one final U.S tour. The East Coast tour will kick off at The Southern in Charlottesville, VA on November 4, continuing on to other noteworthy venues including the 8 x 10 in Baltimore, MD and The Bowery Ballroom in NYC, before wrapping up the tour at Bear Creek Music Festival in Live ...

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