Before the show, an individual approached me asking about The New Mastersounds and whether he should fork over the $15 cost of admission. My answer was a resounding, “yes…these guys can surely play some funky tunes, and I’ve been dying to catch a show.” While describing the band, the individual had an odd request: to describe NMS through haiku. Here it is:

The New Mastersounds
Jazz and Soul straight out of Leeds
These guys bring the funk

Kicking the show off with a smooth walking bass line from Pete Shand, NMS hit the ground running with “Way Out West,” a fun intro to a long and memorable performance at the Georgia Theatre. The venue wasn’t standing room only, but it certainly wasn’t lacking in energy—having just the right amount of room to dance forged a responsive connection between band and audience. Feeding off the crowd’s liveliness, NMS couldn’t contain themselves. NMS’s continuous stage time totaled well over two hours, as they incorporated ten more, unplanned songs to their setlist.

An unexpected addition to this NMS set was the inclusion of the previous band on stage, The Heard. The Heard joined NMS in the middle of the set, they left, and returned later for more fun. NMS honored each Heard musician with a solo; the most memorable being a drum solo and a be-bop scat rendition. This was a treat seeing both bands on stage organically feeding off each others improvisation—especially since NMS doesn’t typically perform with horns.

Their was no encore at the Georgia Theater due to the mammoth of a setlist, but the band did accept a few song requests from fans. I managed to get my request in “Land of Nod” and “You Mess Me Up” snuck in the mix as well. The New Mastersounds put on a terrific showing at the Georgia Theatre and, if you missed out, you’d better pay attention to next time these blokes from England come to town.

[Photos by Benjamin Adams Photography]