Pour les fans de Funk & Soul.
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The band first came together in 1992, whilst all of its members were attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, US. Following many jam sessions, the band began asking various Boston clubs and bars if they could perform their music there, developing the name Lettuce through their constant requests of ‘let us play.’ Developing a strong presence on the live circuit with their popular performances, the band played at various cities across the US, including New York, an Francisco, Chicago and even Tokyo in Japan.
By 2001, the band had released their debut album, “Outta Here,” followed by a live album, “Live in Tokyo,” released on Blue Note in 2003. Continuing to perform extensively, they returned with their second full-length in 2008, with “Rage!” on Velour Recordings. The album found a heavy funk influence, featuring covers of Curtis Mayfield’s “Move on Up” and Charles Wright’s “Express Yourself.” Following a stint on 2011’s ‘Royal Family Ball Tour,’ the band returned to the studio for their third album, “Fly!” in 2012, also released on Velour Recordings.
The band features a number of talented musicians who have all brought their unique skills to the table. The two guitarists, Eric Krasno and Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff bring a dual guitar attack reminiscent of The JB’s. Neal “The Hawk” Evans bolsters the low end with his keyboards and Hammond organ, whereas Erick “Jesus” Coomes brings endlessly funky grooves on his bass guitar. Adam Ditch makes up the rest of the rhythm section on the drums. Lettuce also have an impressive horn section, featuring Rashawn Ross on trumpet, Ryan “Zwad” Zoidis on saxophone, whose big and bold horn lines provide some of the tastiest melodic lines in contemporary funk. As well as being in Lettuce, many of the members also play in another successful jam band, Soulive, often touring together.
The funk band from Massachusetts, Lettuce, it’s hard to believe met as undergraduates at college, and goodness me they’ve come a long way since then. From their friends in college and word of mouth spreading around the music scene, they gained a substantial following even before Outta Here, their debut album, was released. At the concert, there seemed to be many of the fans from their early days, long time supporters, which is always great for a band at their live shows. The venue was packed, and the jazz band who were supporting got everyone in a great mood for Lettuce to come on stage.
Finally, when the performance was about to start, the house lights went down, and the feedback from the rhythm guitar rang out through the auditorium before their overture started playing. I must say, it was an epic mix they’d sorted for their entrance. Everyone was jumping and screaming, as they launched into the title track from their newest album, Fly!. The band are incredibly talented, and something that you don’t pick up on as easily on a recording is the way that they switch between instruments so often, and so fluidly. Both saxophonists were incredible, and weaved their playing around each other wonderfully. It was an incredible show, and it’s been a very long time since I’ve seen genuine talent like that live on stage.
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