|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
Fred Wesley Joins SF Funk All Stars at The Great American Music Hall - a First-Time Meeting of Family Stone and Horny Horn In November, Sunset Promotions assembled the SF Funk All Stars, a bevy of local funk legends who graced the San Francisco Funk Festival. To up the ante, on March 8th, the All Stars will feature not only the heart of the Family Stone Band, but Fred Wesley, long-time musical director for James Brown and critical contributor to the JB’s, Bootsy, and Parliament-Funkadelic. Also on hand that will be Jerry Martini, the sax machine from the Family Stone, making his first local appearance in years. Add to this the other All Stars, Greg Errico (Family Stone/Weather Report/Santana), Cynthia Robinson (Family Stone), Gail Muldrow (Sly, Graham Central), Bobby Vega (Sly, Zero), Grammy winning vocalist Skyler Jett and young rising star Krystle Jones (Tree O Frogs). Vibrant harmonized vocals, and unmatchable horn section promises more than just a bit jam. With the pending reformation of the Family Stone in the winds, this show will be more firestorm than warm-up. As they did at the Funk Festival, the band will play the music of their relative lineage, including Sly & the Family Stone, Graham Central, and other surprises. The set list on 11/17/01 included "Dance to the Music," "Sing a Simple Song," "Hair," "Flashlight" and a "Thank You>Skin Tight>Fire" medley that blew the roof off. These are the founding brothers and sisters of San Francisco funk, come to reclaim their status at the best venue in town, the Great American Music Hall. About the artists: Fred Wesley: The man who invented the funky trombone is a central figure in the history of funk. From his beginnings in Count Basie’s Orchestra, to a long stint as James Brown’s bandleader and arranger, to forming the JB’s, to stints with Parliament, Bootsy’s Rubber Band, and Maceo Parker Band, Fred has done it all. He has also lived several lifetimes as a a solo and session artist, recording nine records and gracing the works of futurefunk artists like the Greyboy Allstars, Brooklyn Funk Essentials, Dee Light, Soulive, and the James Taylor Quartet. Cynthia Robinson: A founding member of Sly & the Family Stone, it’s Cynthia’s unmistakable voice that shouts "Sing a Simple Song" and her soulful trumpet parts that grace all of the Family Stone’s work. Jerry Martini: A founding member of Sly & the Family Stone, Jerry will be making his first San Francisco appearance in many years. This will be an emotional reunion with Robinson, whose horns bond as tight as any Family. Gregory Errico: The energetic beat behind all of the early Sly and the Family Stone records, Errico’s infectious style brought mod pop and bebop to funk, and garnered him an entry in the Rock and Roll hall of Fame. Since leaving the Family Stone, Errico has dropped his chops into diverse dishes like Weather Report, the Jerry Garcia Band, and Santana. Bobby Vega: Since recording Sly Stone’s "High on You" at age 16, Vega has been a key figure in Bay Area funk and groove rock. A founding member of Zero, Bobby recorded with Etta James, Mickey Hart and Joan Baez. Skyler Jett: A session stud whose voice has soared on over 300 albums, Jett won a Grammy for his work with Michael Bolton. He has also appeared on albums by Aretha Franklin, Lionel Ritchie, Celine Dion, Al Green, Whitney Houston, Curtis Mayfield, Diana Ross, Lou Rawls, the O’Jays, and Quincy Jones. Gail Muldrow: Like Vega, Muldorw was handpicked by Sly at age 16 to appear on "High on You." Since then she ahs toured and recorded with Sly, and Graham Central Station. Recently, she ahs been playing local gigs with a number of bands and is finally getting the respect she deserves as a top-notch funk guitarist and singer. Krystle Jones: The "babe" of the funky bunch, Krystle has been singing with a number of new San Francisco funk bands, chief among them, Tree O Frogs. |
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||
©2001 The Great American Music Hall
powered
by IOWA
