I’m not an Aquarius – it’s just an unofficial, 8 days early 40th birthday party. 40 is a controversial birthday, but for all the fear around it I still have a full head of hair. I’m not big on celebrations, so figured I’d just invite folks down to my monthly gig for some good funk and soul. I’ll be working, but come help me celebrate this jump into the land of quadruple OGs.
Wrapped up in expanding my Red Bull Music Academy drummer series and preparing three funk 7″ releases for the spring, so January’s quiet on the gig front. But I have my monthly Soul Vibrations throwdown at Robert Bar (Jan. 21) and a drumming gig with rock band, LuLu Lewis (Jan. 19 at Fat Baby, NYC. 10PM).
See flyer above for Soul Vibrations info. Flyer design ©2017 The Bad Flyer Bandit (me)
After a three month hiatus, I’m back to my Give The Drummer Some column at Red Bull Music Academy. For the current installment, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dwight Burns, drummer for late ’60s funk band TSU Toronadoes, who happened to also be the band playing on Archie Bell and the Drells’ “Tighten Up.” Dwight is one of the founding fathers of the drum break and an important musician from an important band that never quite got its due. We talk about not getting credit/payment for the million selling (and game-changing) “Tighten Up” and the shadiness of the music business, but also about drumming and the TSU Toronadoes’ contributions to funk. Any collector knows this if you’ve tried to buy some of the band’s 45s and any drummer knows what Dwight brought to the set. I was honored to interview him, so check it out…
RBMA Interview with drummer Dwight Burns
And go get some TSU Toronadoes in your library.
For the first time in over 10 years I have enough gigs to list them in one post! Still ain’t many, but if you’re in NYC, I’ll be at the drum throne or on the turntables in these places:
11.26 @ Parkside Lounge NYC on drums w/ Lulu Lewis – 11PM
12.10 @ Robert Bar, B’klyn throwing down funk + soul 45s for my monthly “Soul Vibrations!” DJ gig – 10PM
12/15 @ Troost, Bklyn on drums w/ Lulu Lewis – 10PM
12/29 @Bowery Electric on drums w/ Lulu Lewis – 10PM
If you’re around, come by.
My monthly DJ gig at Robert Bar. Normally the second Saturday of every month but I bat third this go round. 10PM-2AM. Free. Stop by, say hi and enjoy a non-stop barrage of funk and soul 45s.
So here’s a mini-doc about my funk band with longtime cohort, Pablo Martin – how we formed, the making of our debut album, etc. Done by David Saklosky of Gusto Gold Films. Hope you dig it.
And for people who have no time to deal with vinyl and tapes, The Du-Rites’ album is now on iTunes (click that). Today’s release date of October 21 was chosen purposely, as my late grandmother (“Evil E”) would’ve celebrated her 93rd birthday today. Grandma is bestowing the funk upon us from heaven. That’s all we’ve got for today. Enjoy the music!
Finally! My very first pure funk endeavor is now available! It’s been on my to-do list for about 30 years and it feels amazing to finally have achieved it, although I never thought it would be primarily as a drummer and playing keys (with bass on a few cuts). Special shout out to my partner in funk, Mr. Pablo Martin – we are The Du-Rites! The actual “street date” is November 18, but digital download and a limited number of orange vinyl LPs and green shell tapes are available for pre-order now at: thedurites.bandcamp.com
They’ll ship around November 1. Should we run out of vinyl and/or tapes, they’re also available at www.redefinitionrecords.com and they’ll ship in the same time frame. Otherwise, pick up the wax or tape at your favorite mom + pop sites/stores November 18.
For those who don’t collect, the album will be on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, etc. tomorrow (October 21). I’ll do a separate post about that.
If spendin’ money ain’t your thing, you can always stream the album 24/7 on our Soundcloud page. We even considered the broke folks!
Enjoy
Too soon? I have a feeling this will get lost in Trump memes but oh well. There are 7 autographed test pressings of the The Du-Rites LP going on sale at www.redefinitionrecords.com at midnight EST (10/20). They ship immediately. During the afternoon (also on 10/20) the album will be for sale at thedurites.bandcamp.com digitally, with pre-orders for commercial copies of the LP and a few cassettes also live. ReDefinition Records will have the same preorder up. Those ship around Nov. 1. Album on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, etc. this Friday (10/21) and vinyl/tape official street date for stores is Nov. 18. #thedurites!
Here’s a taste of the mini-documentary for The Du-Rites, my two man funk combo with Pablo Martin. Both the mini-doc and the album will be available in their entirety on October 21st! Check the teaser in the meantime.
PRESS RELEASE:
Ever order a kale salad and discover a neckbone in it? That’s funk.
Ever written a love letter on a chicken grease-stained napkin? That’s funk.
The Du-Rites are without a doubt the soundtrack to both of those situations, but by definition, The Du-Rites are a duo of New York-based multi-instrumentalists comprised of Pablo Martin (guitar, bass, synthesizer) and J-Zone (drums, organ, bass, turntables, small percussion instruments that require little skill).
Funk comes from so many places that it’s hard to visit them all, but the duo manages to do just that on their self-titled (and almost wholly instrumental) debut LP on Old Maid Entertainment/ Ilegalia Records (with vinyl LP c/o ReDefinition Records). From the greasy, lo-fi and syncopated grooves of the late ‘60s (“Bug Juice,” “Git’n Off,” “Ghetto Ferris Wheel”); to ‘70s cop show funk (“The Chief & I,” “Hustle”); to the slick stomp of the early ‘80s (“Du-N-It”), The Du-Rites have membership at both the rib shack and the discotheque.
Individually, both J-Zone and Pablo have already planted their funk seeds, albeit in different locations. With 24 years experience as a hip-hop producer, 20+ as a DJ and four as a working drummer recording for the likes of Danger Mouse, various film scores (the Stretch and Bobbito Documentary being one) and his own albums and break beat projects, J-Zone knows a thing or two about what makes a song groove. Pablo currently holds down guitar duties for the legendary new wave band, Tom Tom Club, and has worked as a mastering/sound engineer in New York City for 20 years. The Argentina native brings a musicality with his Telecaster guitar that pairs with J-Zone’s rhythms and screaming organ riffs for a hard-grooving and quirky funk sound.
With influences ranging from the obvious (Booker T. & The MGs, Lalo Schifrin, Cameo, Kool and the Gang, The Meters, Jimi Hendrix, P-Funk, Motown, Herbie Hancock, and James Brown) to the obscure (overlooked late ‘60s funk bands Warm Excursion, TSU Toronadoes, The Counts and Willie & The Mighty Magnificents), The Du-Rites bounce from improvisational, raggedy and psychedelic to tight and snappy with the skip of a track. Pablo’s proficiency in punk, disco, pop and Latin and J-Zone’s deep roots in hip-hop combine to make one of the more off-kilter, but undeniably funky instrumental long players you’ll dig into.
The Du-Rites’ music is already being featured in a major film in 2017 and if you need a theme song for your fried chicken joint, they’ll get it done. But for now, enjoy their first full-length album (which drops October 21).
Have a listen at The Du-Rites Soundcloud Page
Have another listen (and buy) at The Du-Rites Bandcamp page
