Tag Archives: Funk

Re-charge your Sunday nights at The Piano Works Farringdon

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Everyone knows Sundays are the new Saturdays and we have just the solution for a much needed Sunday night elixir. London’s popular late-night, live music venue The Piano Works have come up with the perfect excuse to reclaim your Sunday evenings by launching live music performances by the legendary Patrick Alan and his Righteous Ten.

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If you would like to spend the evening with the man who helped launch the careers of Amy Winehouse and Christina Aguilera then Sunday nights at The Piano Works are just for you. We were lucky enough to attend the launch and were instantly transported to what can only resemble a funky Manhattan Jazz Club. The Cocktails were a perfect accompaniment to bobbing along at the bar to some of the most perfectly executed soulful hits finished off with a mesmerising tribute to Prince. The energy and soul that oozes from the band was infectious throughout the venue with many punters up on their feet by the end. We simply couldn’t resist. Feel free to really indulge in a little Sunday night therapy and order a dish or two from the menu. From tapas-style dishes to a variety of filled rolls and salads you will not go hungry here. Everything is well-made, fresh and satisfying, we recommend the Soft-Shell Crab Roll. All in all, we couldn’t think of anything else we’d rather be doing on a Sunday night, the ambience is uplifting and we will definitely be back for more. Patrick Alan will continue his residency on the first Sunday of every month.

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For listings or more info visit

http://pianoworks.bar

Ron Littlejohn & the Funk Embassy “Shining On” | Music Profile

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Ron Littlejohn & the Funk Embassy, music, music profile, music newsWe are always searching for good music that more people should listen to. This funk/soul band definitely fit into that category. Have a listen to the track below.
Band: Ron Littlejohn & The Funk Embassy
Location: Montreal / Toronto, Canada
Styles: Funk/Soul
Similar to: Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield,  Marvin Gaye, Al Green
CD: Shining On

Accolades:
– Ron Littlejohn (Songwriter, Singer) : opened for James Brown, Maceo Parker, Bettye Lavette, KOS, Holly Cole, War

– Thierry Matrat (Songwriter, Keyboards) : Opened for Warren G, The Roots (Lyon, France)
– Olivier Babaz (Bass) : played in multiple countries & festivals : Montreal Francofolies and Jazz Festival, Sakifo Music Festival (Reunion Island), Jazz In Marciac (France), Angeradona (Madagascar), Jazz a Port-Au-Prince (Haiti), Milatsika Festival (Mayotte), New Morning (Paris, France)

Kevin Turcotte : recorded and toured with Time Warp, The Mike Murley Quartet, Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass, Don Byron. Played with Tito Puente, Dave Holland, Kenny Kirkwood, Pat LaBarbera, Bill Grove, Kenny Wheeler…

Alana Bridgewater : voice of the 2008 Olympic Bid. In 2007 she was nominated for a Gemini Award for her contribution to The Gospel Christmas Project (CBC). Alana has a recurring role on Nickelodeon Jr.’s Dino Dan. In 2008 she played the role of ‘Killer Queen’ in the Toronto production of ”We will Rock You.

Award won (Funk Embassy alone, not with Ron Littlejohn):
International Songwriting Competition, 2012, Dance/Electronica Category, with the single ‘Unity’

Members/Instruments:
Ron John Littlejohn : Vocals, Lyrics
Alana Bridgewater : Vocals
Dwight Chase : Drums
Joe Hackl : Guitar
Olivier Babaz : Bass
Moise Matey : Percussions
Kevin Turcotte : Trumpet
Thierry Matrat : Keyboards, Songwriting, Producer
Guillaume Larouche : Flute (A day in San Francisco)
Etienne Lebel : Trombone (Unity)
Steve Donald : Trombone (Soul Devotion, My Magination)
Glenn Crosse : Solo Guitar and Video Production (Shining On)
DJ Mana : Turntables (Soul Devotion, The Village)
DJ Horg : Turntables (Cream #9, Unity)
Obed José : Graphic Arts, Animated Movies (A day in San Francisco, Unity)
Production:
EP produced by Thierry Matrat
Recorded mixed by :
– Jason Steidman at Number 9 Studios, Toronto, On, Canada
– Karl de Serres at Saint-Phonic Studios, Montreal, Qc, Canada
– Mastered by Steve Corrao at Sage Audio, Nashville, Tn, USA (except ‘Shining On’, mixed and master by Glenn Crosse, Toronto)

Tracklisting:

1- Shining On
2- Seem Like Yesterday
3- Light Me Up
4- Soul Devotion
5- Cream #9
6- My Magination
7- A day in San Francisco
8- Emma Lee

< Websites:

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Bio:

Ron Littlejohn & the Funk Embassy is a funk collective founded by main songwriters Thierry Matrat and Ron Littlejohn. It’s members have achieved amazing things on their own, including opening for James Brown (Ron) and The Roots (Thierry). The project features Ron Littlejohn on vocals, Thierry Matrat on keyboards, Alana Bridgewater on vocals, Olivier Babaz on bass, Joe Hackl on guitar, Moise Matey on percussion, Dwight Chase on drums, and many other talented musicians contributing to individual tracks.

The project began with Thierry Matrat, who, after a long history as a hip hop artist in France, started the Funk Embassy project in 2009. He began composing music originally with the intention of creating soul/funk songs for rappers. After many collaborations, he decided to switch the project’s focus and hire the best musicians and singers he could find. Craigslist made this happen, and it was Craigslist Toronto that brought Thierry and Ron together.

Unknowingly, Thierry has found the perfect person to help him spearhead the ideal direction for his music. Ron Littlejohn had a long history in the Toronto soul/funk scene with his popular group Planet Earth, who Thierry listened to for “5 seconds before he knew Ron was the singer he was looking for”. Prior to finding Ron, Thierry has advertised in Montreal and found three very notable funk musicians in Olivier Babaz (bass), Joe Hackl (guitar) and Dwight Chase (drums).< Thierry and Ron recorded the initial music by communicating through emails as to what the song structures and melodies should be. Music was then recorded in studio in both Montreal and Toronto. After the initial demos, Ron recommended additional musicians to complete the collective needed for the debut album (Steve Donald, Kevin Turcotte and Alana Bridgewater).Fast forward to Fall 2013, and Ron Littlejohn & The Funk Embassy are preparing to see their album “Shining On” released (Oct 19).

About the inspiration for the title track “Shining On”, Ron says “When I was about to become a father, some friends actually became resentful at the idea of me having new priorities. This hurt me like a bitch. I wrote this song to my unborn daughter trying to tell her no matter how mean the bastards get, keep on shining. I think it’s the best song I’ve ever written. So I thank those negative folks for the inspiration.”

Inspired by their heroes such as Isaac Hayes, James Brown, Curtis Mayfield,  Marvin Gaye and Al Green, the album was a labor of love, consisting of work and dedication from some of Toronto and Montreal’s best soul/funk artists, ironically brought together by a songwriter from Lyons, France.

Pigeon Park Self-Titled | Music Profiles

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Band: Pigeon Park
Location: Vancouver, B.C
Styles: Rock, Groove, Funk, Blues
Similar to: The Black Crowes, The Parlor Mob, The Trews, Led Zeppelin, The Red Hot Chili Peppers
CD: Pigeon Park

Accolades:
-Played at the 420 festival(2010-2012), played Cannabis day in Vancouver(2011 and 2012), played at Golden Spike Days Festival (2012)
-chosen as a top 20 finalist for 99.3 FOX seeds 2012 out of 500 bands, FOX seeds is a contest that has sprung the careers of artists like Bryan Adams, Bif Naked, Matthew Good Band etc.
-Toured nationally twice (2011, 2012)

Members/Instruments: Nick Weber – Vocals, Kevin Okabe – Guitars, Logan Pacholok – Guitars and Vocals, Artur Leppert – Bass, Hunter Elliott – Drums

Pigeon Park is a blues and funk-infused rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia. Crafting a signature sound with inspiration flowing from a variety of influences, they continue to grow with the seasons. Pigeon Park was formed in 2008 by founding members Nick Weber (Vocals) Kevin Okabe (Guitars) Logan Pacholok (Guitars and Vocals) Artur Leppert (Bass) and Hunter Elliott (Drums). Together the five of them began a musical journey embarking on two Cross Canada tours and recording two albums.

The band released their debut record ?The Sun? in 2010, and with the strength of this album managed to secure distribution in Sweden, Montreal, and Greece.

2012 saw the band touring nationally, playing popular BC festivals and being chosen as a finalist for 99.3 FOX seeds 2012, expanding their fan base across Canada. Upon returning from tour, they stepped into the studio and released their new EP “Lovelight” August 31st. The EP and music video for the title-track have been buzzed about in publications such as WHOA Magazine, The Province, the Music Mag, Follow the Signal and Mojophenia, who said of the album “Pigeon Park manage to illuminate the majority of guitar based genres in one superb release.”

Videos:
Lovelight Music Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfq_kepYmAk

LIVE @ The Vancouver Art Gallery:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SepUNE4_1FE

On Tour in Quebec:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqoVLi_nako

Live:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MW09n06MSE

Websites:
http://www.facebook.com/pigeonpark
http://pigeonparkband.bandcamp.com/
https://twitter.com/pigeonpark
http://soundcloud.com/pigeon-park

Track listing:
1.Lovelight
2.Figures
3.Only Us Fools
4.Hopeless
5.Statues of Feathers
6.Its Not That Likely

 

Cata9tales A Chameleon’s Dream | Music Profiles

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Band: Cata9tales
Location: Virginia
Styles: Hypecore, Alternative Hip-Hop, Electronica, Funk, Alternative
Similar to: Beastie Boys, Beck, Radiohead, Eminem, Red Hot Chili Peppers
CD: A Chameleon’s Dream

Accolades:
Featured performer at the Mid-Atlantic Music Conference, Charlotte, NC 2012
Ranked #1 regionally on Reverbnation
Toured extensively throughout Southeast region
Top artist/story on officiallypluggedin.com
Music featured in theatrical wrestling documentary “The Booker”
Recently signed to Monarchy Records first artist signed to label

Members/Instruments: Berkley Priest (vocals),  Kreator (beats)
*the live band incorporates more musicians (guitar, bass, drums, keys), but the only official members are Berkley Priest and Kreator.  They are responsible for writing and recording all of the material.

Production: Recorded and Produced by Cata9tales, Mastered by Jason Carter at Wavelength Studios, Portland, OR

Cata9tales could only exist right now, in this moment, at this pinnacle of pop culture; where the lines blur, the mold breaks, and the rules crumble into dust.  Keeping one foot in hip-hop while dancing all over the musical map, Cata9tales have crafted a truly fresh sound. The band have developed an intensely loyal following, having toured extensively throughout the Southeast and ranking #1 on Reverbnation regionally.

Cata9tales is the brainchild of frontman Berkley Priest, an enigmatic performer with a strong style and flow that defies categorization. Less a rapper than a rocker who rhymes, Priest draws influence from David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and David Lee Roth. A veteran of the rock and psychedelic scenes, Cata9tales is the first time that Priest has ventured into hip-hop territory. Lyrically, Priest employs colorful turns of phrase and vocal inflections that make him entirely unique within a saturated scene. His performances border on the possessed, tapping into an energy that only a performer that has spent years in the rock trenches can.

Kreator (Kenny Perkins) is a musical journeyman who can play nearly any instrument and has an ear for composition and song structure that makes him an anomaly in the hip hop world. Refusing to settle or take short cuts, it is Kreator’s perfectionism and ear for turning the absurd into musical gold that gives Cata9tales its soul and punch.

Something happens when these two musicians, uniquely talented in their own right, get together to form Cata9tales. The live band finds the duo working with  drummer Ben Pinkston and guitarist Jeremy Luedtke, as well as a rotating cast of characters that guarantees that no two shows will ever be the same.  Priest leads the charge with his whirling dervish performances, including additional percussion and samples. Kreator (who formerly DJ’ed the proceedings) now plays bass live while triggering samples with his feet and stepping over to scratch on the turntables.

Their first release, the old-school influenced, cathartic “Kick the Bad Love” announced their arrival. Their follow-up EP “A Chameleon’s Dream,” released just 6 months later, shows a band that was unwilling to be pigeonholed, as the flows, song structure and sonic experimentalism reached new levels. Since then the band has signed to Monarchy Records and are hard at work in the studio recording what will be their “official” debut, “Hello Maybe Everything.”

The beats and lyrics weave in and out, taking sharp left turns, coloring madly outside of the lines. From the mid-Atlantic something wicked ? and wonderful ? this way comes.

Tracklisting:    1. Kaboombox
2. Open Letter to Generation Adderall
3. Keep the Diamond, I?m Rhyming Now
4. What a Day (Shooting Stars)
5. The Gang?s All Here (Interlude)
6. Ghettotron
7. Ultralife
8. Phoenix Weather
9. Stronger Than Me (Amy’s Song)
10. A Chameleon?s Dream

Websites:
www.cata9tales.com
www.twitter.com/cata9tales
www.facebook.com/cata9tales
www.youtube.com/cata9tales
www.bandcamp.com/cata9tales