Over the course of a career spanning 19 years, 15 albums and countless tours around the globe, The New Mastersounds have carved out a unique space for themselves as world-class purveyors of contemporary jazz-funk. Comprised of guitarist Eddie Roberts, drummer Simon Allen, bassist Pete Shand, and organist Joe Tatton, the band’s particular blend of mostly instrumental, guitar-driven grooves has developed throughout the years to include a rich tapestry of textures. The breadth of that spectrum of styles is realized on their latest full-length studio album, Renewable Energy, due out Friday, April 13th via One Note Records.
In addition to the album’s 10+ original tracks, it features a brand new take on a rock and roll classic, James Gang‘s “Funk 49”. As Eddie Roberts explains, “Funk 49 was introduced to me by my wife Ashley… When we first started dating, she had a compilation of ‘southern rock’ in her car, and by the most parts, I wasn’t really into it..but I always loved when this would come on, and I’d ask ‘what’s this again?’ It’s just an NMS kind of groove, and I knew it would work.”
Led by Roberts’ echo-filtered vocals, this new version of the classic tune maintains the devil-may-care ethos of the original while the addition of Tatton’s impressive organ work (James Gang was a power trio, sans keys) elevates the track to the captivating level of soulfulness fans have come to expect from The New Mastersounds. Notes Roberts, “We had so much fun recording this. We don’t go in for a lot of singing..but this tune just really suited my voice, and we laid the whole track down in a few takes.”
Today, as the band prepares to release Renewable Energy, Live For Live Music is excited to premiere The New Mastersounds’ take on James Gang’s “Funk 49”. Listen to the new track below:
The New Mastersounds – “Funk 49” (James Gang cover)
[Audio: The New Mastersounds]
The New Mastersounds will be hitting the road this May and June for a nationwide run of club and festival dates. For a full list of upcoming performances, see below. To get more information on The New Mastersounds tour and album plans, head to the band website.
You can catch The New Mastersounds’ Eddie Roberts in action in New Orleans at a special Jazz Fest late night performance by J.E.D.I. (Jazz Electronic Dance Improvisation), comprised of Aaron Johnston (Brazilian Girls/David Byrne), Marc Brownstein (the Disco Biscuits), and Ryan Zoidis (Lettuce), on April 19th at Maison. Roberts will serve as a special guest along with Eric “Benny” Bloom (Lettuce) and Shira Elias (Turkuaz). For more info, click here.
For Live For Live Music’s full guide to Jazz Fest late nights, click here.
