The New Mastersounds said Ta-Ta For Now to a packed house at Portland’s Wonder Ballroom, marking one of the final stops on the British soul-jazz quartet’s farewell U.S. tour. After more than two decades of international touring, the Leeds-born instrumental funk band squeezed out every last drop, delivering a characteristically tight, groove-heavy performance that showcased exactly why they became one of the most beloved acts to emerge from the soul-jazz renaissance of the early 2000s.

When The New Mastersounds formed in 1999, they arrived at a pivotal moment in contemporary jazz history. The late 1990s and early 2000s saw a revival of the soul-jazz organ trio format—a sound that had originated in the 1960s with legends like Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, and Jimmy McGriff, but had largely faded by the 1980s.

That resurgence came from multiple directions: the acid jazz movement in the U.K., the burgeoning jam band circuit and nu-jazz scene in the U.S., and a new generation of musicians who embraced the Hammond B3 organ as a link between old-school soul and contemporary funk. Bands like Soulive, Medeski Martin & Wood, The Greyboy Allstars, and Galactic were redefining instrumental groove music, infusing it with hip-hop production sensibilities, extended improvisation, and cross-genre experimentation.

The New Mastersounds—Eddie Roberts (guitar), Simon Allen (drums), Pete Shand (bass), and Joe Tatton (keys)—stood out as one of the few British acts to break through in this American-dominated movement. While the James Taylor Quartet remained a cult favorite stateside and The Brand New Heavies steered toward pop, The New Mastersounds found a home on U.S. festival and club stages, from High Sierra to Bear Creek to New Orleans Jazz Fest, becoming honorary Americans in the process.

Their Portland performance encapsulated everything that made them such a vital force. The evening began with a local supergroup—Scott Pemberton on guitar, Galen Clark on organ, and Micah Hummel on drums—who set the tone with a funky instrumental set that warmed up an already enthusiastic crowd. When The New Mastersounds took the stage, they were locked in from the first note.

The New Mastersounds – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR – 11/2/25

[Video: J4LM]

Roberts led the charge, alternating between melodic leads and percussive rhythms. Shand supplied deep-pocket bass lines, like a one-man groove machine, while Tatton added lush texture and jazz-informed sophistication, moving fluidly between organ and piano.

At the core of it all was Allen’s drumming—restrained, inventive, and musical. His open-handed technique (leading with his left on the hi-hat rather than crossing over with his right) gives his playing a unique, creative quality. As does his masterful use of space. He often drops out entirely to let the groove breathe before snapping the beat back in. This start-stop approach was clearly influenced by hip-hop producers and DJs, who fade drum loops in and out, a technique also favored by MMW’s Billy Martin.

Together, the four musicians operated with near-telepathic chemistry. At times, all four voices merged into a single groove with no lead melody at all, yet the dance floor never stopped moving. That cohesion—the sense of individual expression perfectly subsumed into collective rhythm—is The New Mastersounds’ defining alchemy. Their compositions are designed to showcase each player’s voice, but the total sound transcends its parts. They are both a throwback to classic American funk and a refreshingly modern expression of it.

The New Mastersounds – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR – 11/2/25

[Video: J4LM]

The night wasn’t without tenderness. Allen sang lead on a cover of Paul Simon’s “One Trick Pony”, prompting Roberts to joke that it only took him “26 years to find his voice.” At the end of the night, after informing the crowd they had no merchandise but would post a show-specific poster on their website, Allen offered a benediction that captured the night’s bittersweet mood: “Have a lovely time, for the rest of your lives.”

Though tinged with farewell melancholy, the show radiated joy and gratitude. The crowd danced with abandon, the band played with unwavering precision, and for one more night, Portland witnessed what audiences have celebrated for more than two decades: a British band that helped revive and redefine the sound of modern funk and soul-jazz.

As The New Mastersounds take their final bow on American stages, they leave behind a remarkable legacy: helping to rebuild the Hammond organ’s place in contemporary music, bridging the Atlantic divide in the soul-jazz scene, and demonstrating that instrumental funk, when played with this much soul and finesse, will always find an audience ready to move.