Meet the Band
Sara
Lead Vocals
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What would we find in your ‘recently played' list?
Avicci, Humbre , Madonna, and an energy motivation playlist!
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What’s your background as a singer?
Sang in the shower since I was 4 years of age. Turned professional at 21, working in a soul /jazz/funk band. Did a couple of RnB projects with Australian singer/ songwriters in the 90’s and more recenlty I've done a lot of work in the Latin music scene.
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An artist who influenced your playing?
Madonna, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Barbara Streisand.... all for their phenomenal vocal range but also their performance. I was always in awe of the way they could captivate an audience - that's what singing and performing is all about.
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What originally got you into funk music?
I was in a Soul/Funk band as female vocalist in my 20’s, and lived and breathed Motown & soul in the live music scene during that time. The rest developed from that.
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Favourite song to play in our set and why?
See you tomorrow - it has the potential for me to sing it differently every single time , also love the message it conveys
Jon
Guitar
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What would we find in your ‘recently played' list?
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What’s your background on [your instrument]?
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An artist who influenced your playing?
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What originally got you into funk music?
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Favourite song to play in our set and why?
Mark O
Keyboards
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What would we find in your ‘recently played' list?
Lawrence the band, This is Burrell & the Hidden Figures soundtrack
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What’s your background on [your instrument]?
Began with classical piano from age 7...
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An artist who influenced your playing?
Chopin
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What originally got you into funk music?
Always liked funk, soul & gospel, what you might call 'up' music...
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Favourite song to play in our set and why?
Sledgehammer - it's the newest addition to our setlist, so it's fresh & we do a kinda Bebop version of it, not a style I've played before.
Dave
Bass
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What would we find in your ‘recently played' list?
Just looked! Air, The Stranglers, Low, and Kamasi Washington. Oh, and the soundtrack to Wicked (my daughter plays it in the car!).
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What’s your musical background?
Started playing bass in my teens and played the Liverpool pub circuit when I was at Uni in the height of the Acid Jazz days! Long break for a career that had me travelling a lot ... and then kids... and then found my way back to it.
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An artist who influenced your playing?
The greats!... Jaco Pastorius, James Jamerson, Rocco Prestia, Pino Palladino, Verdine White, Bootsy... the list goes on.
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What originally got you into funk music?
Someone gave me 'Standing on the Verge' by Funkadelic at school - I think that was my entry point. A bass teacher early on helped me deeper into the rabbit hole...
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Favourite song to play in our set and why?
So much of our setlist has great, great bass lines, but I do love California Dreaming - its a more Motown than some of our other stuff but a nice busy bassline.
Mark C
Drums
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What would we find in your ‘recently played' list?
Chameleon by Herbie Hancock
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What’s your background on [your instrument]?
Started playing the drums when I was about 11 in a moody teen post-rock band with my high school buddies :)
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An artist who influenced your playing?
Gotta be Ziggy Modeliste or Clyde Stubblefield. The pioneers!
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What originally got you into funk music?
Started jamming with funk standards and learning about the history of funk drumming during covid
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Favourite song to play in our set and why?
Hard to choose but probably People Say by The Meters. It's awesome to play the drum grooves of my hero Ziggy!
Julian
Trombone
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What would we find in your ‘recently played' list?
Anything from Euro Jazz Big Band to Aussie rock classics, my listening is pretty wide spanning!
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What’s your background on trombone?
Been playing for over 16 years now with 6 of them as a professional! Studied at SydCon to get a BMus Jazz Performance
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An artist who influenced your playing?
Fred Wesley is a pretty good starting point for me when it comes to funk as the real godfather of funk ‘bone
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What originally got you into funk music?
I think my exploration of various genres and love of jazz led me to funk as a great way to delve more into what makes a band really groove or sit in a pocket with some fusion stuff from Weather Report or Herbie
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Favourite song to play in our set and why?
I’d say Funky Nassau is my favourite chart because it’s pretty open and gives the band a chance to really explore over a simple base!
Sacha
Saxophone
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What would we find in your ‘recently played' list?
Danny Elfman / Daft Punk, two of my favourite artists of all time. As well as Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane, Miles Daivs, Thelonious Monk and others!
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What’s your background on sax?
I’ve been playing alto sax for 13 yrs and more recently picked up tenor to expand my skills. There’s more demand for tenor sax so I thought it would be wise!
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An artist who influenced your playing?
Charlie Parker! His way of soloing and the genre of bebop in general are huge influences.
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What originally got you into funk music?
Jamiroquai and Earth, Wind and Fire are quick to come to mind. Their songs have such an energy - just makes you wanna get up and move your body.
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Favourite song to play in our set and why?
River Keep Running by Acantha Lang. I love how it keeps building in energy and changing melodies that blend to create such a soulful, funky feeling.
Jupiter
Trumpet
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What would we find in your ‘recently played' list?
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What’s your background on trumpet?
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An artist who influenced your playing?
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What originally got you into funk music?
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Favourite song to play in our set and why?