Funk septet Lettuce started out as party crashers, showing up at other bands gigs and asking them "will you let us play?" So know you know that the band name has nothing do with a green salad. Formed at the Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1992 the band members had an open ear for each others taste in funk - the Meters bass lines, the Herbie Hancock grooves and the horns of the Tower of Power.
Over the years the members of Lettuce have been performing with a wealth of other artists (John Scofield, Robert Randolph), but always bringing the band together every now and then. Rage! is their third album and is a showcase for their live shows. You can picture the guys on stage watching each other and trading licks with ease. The main theme is never completely off the radar and even when they slow down they never loose momentum. This is smooth and nutritious music, with a spicy dressing on top. They focus on their own stuff, with a nod to a classic funksters like Curtis Mayfield who is awarded with a rousing version of Move On Up. Rage! is a musicians album that even promoters will like.
Lettuce:
Eric Krasno: Guitar
Erick Coomes: Bass
Adam Deitch: Drums
Adam Smirnoff: Guitar
Neal Evans: Keys
Ryan Zoidis: Sax
Sam Kininger: Sax
Rashawn Ross: Trumpet
Rage! is released on Velour Music. Release date: April 22nd.
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