Rising soul jazz organist Sam Fribush, four-time Grammy-nominated guitarist Ari Teitel (The Rumble, Dumpstaphunk), and Lettuce mastermind/drummer Adam Deitch have joined forces to form a new trio, DTF, and shared their debut single, “Chester”. The track is set to appear on their debut album, Another Side Of The Sound, which is due out on May 23rd.
The new project builds on the traditional organ trio format, blending Fribush’s studied, gospel-influenced polyphonic approach with Deitch’s modern, hip-hop-tinged “future funk” beats and Teitel’s smooth guitar grooves. Recorded straight to tape without a click track at Colorado Sound Studios, the trio’s debut LP sounds both timeless and contemporary, with a mix of original compositions and eclectic covers—from The Allman Brothers Band’s “Midnight Rider” to Bel Biv DeVoe’s 1990 new jack swing anthem “Poison”.
“We’re three musicians who deeply respect classic funk, jazz, hip-hop, and R&B and wanted to make a record the old-school way. All of us in the same room cutting to tape,” said Teitel. “We all tap into our influences like Jimmy Smith, J Dilla, The Meters, and Tower of Power while playing with a modern edge, and wrote tunes that serve as vehicles for all our inspiration to shine.”
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The album’s first single, “Chester”, is an ode to organist Chester “CT” Thompson, who played with Santana and Tower of Power for 26 years and 10 years, respectively, and is known for his fancy footwork on the organ pedals. The track is “the only song off the record that was composed on the spot, completely unplanned with Deitch directing each section,” according to a press release.
“Due to our shared love for the rhythm section intricacies of Tower of Power, this song just sprouted from a pure moment in the studio,” said Deitch.
“‘Chester’ represents 3 musicians playing greasy, unadulterated, instrumental funk in the purest format – to tape without a click track. We’re all Tower of Power fans, so this was a groove that poured out easily from all of us at the end of a long session,” Teitel added.
“It encapsulates the vibe of the whole record: soulful, fresh, and spirited,” Fribush concurred.
Listen to “Chester”, the lead single off DTF’s debut album, Another Side Of The Sound, below or on your preferred streaming platform, and click here to pre-save/pre-order the album.
DTF – “Chester”