The Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown, a project that features a rotating all-star cast of musicians from the funk and jamband worlds and beyond, has dropped a new single, “Mellow”.
The jazz-funk track features Kendra Foster (P-Funk, D’Angelo) on lead vocals, founding Sly and the Family Stone members Jerry Martini (saxophone) and Cynthia Robinson (trumpet), Alvin Ford Jr. (Pretty Lights, Trombone Shorty, Dumpstaphunk) on drums, Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne) on bass, Jamar Woods (formerly of The Fritz) on keys, and Asheville, N.C.-based guitarist Josh Blake.
“Kendra is a downright phenomenal vocalist and she has such a jazzy aspect to her voice, and it felt like this was a really perfect pairing,” says Getdown mastermind and producer John Heintz. “She was able to take this instrumental to its fullest potential. There’s a lot of twists and turns throughout the song.”
The instrumental track, sans horns, was recorded in 2013 during the sessions for The Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown Volume 2 (released in 2018). “Mellow” is the project’s first release since Volume 2 and may be Robinson’s last recording before she passed in 2015.
The song’s digital release also marks the launch of a limited-edition white vinyl collector’s pack with “Mellow” and Volume 2’s “Dream” (featuring Taylor Dayne on vocals). The vinyl also includes instrumental versions of both songs and an alternate studio cut of “Dream” with a guitar solo by Tori Ruffin (Morris Day and The Time, Sexual Chocolate). The pack, limited to 600 copies, features two 10×10 signed silkscreen prints created for each song by James Flames, an enamel pin, a sticker, and a turntable slipmat. The package is now available for preorder.
Heintz says the project’s strength lies in getting the right group of people together. Both Volume 1 and Volume 2 were recorded house-party style in weeklong sessions with dozens of musicians.
“We’ve always been able to catch a good vibe with the players in the room,” he says. “If everyone’s getting along and having a good time, it certainly represents itself in the music.”
Heintz is busy preparing the next batch of Getdown material. Next year will see the release of Volume 3 as well as the first in a new series called Repurpose Purpose Vol. 1. That collection features multiple ensembles writing songs based off of the same drum track, with drastically different results. The first release from that series will feature drummer Jack Irons (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam). One version includes Larry “Ler” LaLonde of Primus on guitar, Norwood Fisher of Fishbone on bass, and Mike Dillon on percussion.
The Big Ol’ Nasty Getdown – “Mellow” (Featuring Kendra Foster)
