The Funk Sessions | 2019-04-23 | Cervantes’ Other Side, Denver, CO [SBD/AUD Matrix]

You got the love? Amen, brother! Check out April’s Funk Sessions presented by Live For Live Music at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom (Other Side)!

The second rendition of the monthly L4LM event was a celebration, not just of funk but of The Sessions’ drummer Adam Deitch, who was celebrating his birthday that evening as well. The core lineup was stacked, featuring fellow Adam and Lettuce bandmate Adam “Schmeeans” Smirnoff on guitar, Bay Area jazz aficionado Wil Blades on keys, and finally The Motet’s funky backbone Garrett Sayers on bass. The Sessions were jam-packed with loose improvisation on funk staples that brought extended excursions into the familiar licks and rhythms of popular classics and some deeper cuts as well. Locked-in grooves, punchy horns, hoot-inducing guitar solos, and smooth keys filled the set with confidence and delivered the songs with hefty execution. Classics by pioneers such as The Meters and Jimmy Smith mingled with less traditional interpretations, such as their psychedelic-funk rendition of Steve Miller Band’s “Fly Like An Eagle”, WAR’s “Life Is A Ghetto”, and “Check The Rhime” by hip-hop legend A Tribe Called Quest. With the help of mystery guest Dominic Lalli on saxophone, the band was also able to take on more horn-heavy tunes by legends such as Maceo Parker, Tower Of Power, and jazz-icon Freddie Hubbard. These covers helped elevate the band’s already impressive range of sound and featured some of the most compelling playing of the evening.

The Funk Sessions brought the house down with a laid-back flair that engaged listeners with their dynamic approach to funk and stellar lineup. From downtempo vibe-out grooves to high-energy power funk, the band curated a set full of memorable highlights and incredibly absorbing playing that made for the funkiest way to spend a Tuesday night in Denver.

The Funk Sessions | 2019-04-23 | Cervantes’ Other Side, Denver, CO

-= One Set =-
01. (Intro)
02. Root Down (Jimmy Smith cover) ->
03. Inside Straight (Cannonball Adderley cover)[1]->
04. Live Wire (The Meters cover)
05. The World Is A Ghetto (WAR cover)
06. Fly Like An Eagle (Steve Miller Band cover)
07. Check The Rhime (A Tribe Called Quest cover)[2]
08. (Banter)
09. Mr. Clean (Freddie Hubbard cover)[3] >
10. Povo (Freddie Hubbard cover)[3]
11. Squib Cakes (Tower Of Power cover)[3]
12. (Banter II)
13. N.T. (Kool & The Gang cover) >
14. Soul Power (Maceo Parker cover)
15. You Got The Love (Chaka Khan cover)[4]

-= Encore =-
16. (Encore Break)
17. Amen Brother (The Winstons cover)

-= Line Up =-
Adam Deitch (Lettuce / Break Science) on guitar
Adam Smirnoff (Lettuce) on guitar
Wil Blades on keys
Garrett Sayers (The Motet) on bass)

Show Notes: This set was performed as a part of the monthly Live For Live Music Funk Sessions. Many Colors opened the show.
[1] “Inside Straight” featured Scott Flynn on trombone.
[2] “Check The Rhime” featured G Finesse on vocals.
[3] “Mr. Clean”, “Povo”, “Squib Cakes”, “N.T” and “Soul Power” featured Dominic Lalli (Big Gigantic) on saxophone.
[4] “You Got The Love” featured Kimya Dawson (Pimps Of Joytime) on vocals.

Taper Notes: Slightly off-center, around 50′ from the stage. Mics raised around 8′ PAS. Thank you to FOH Engineer Shrink for the mix and patch!

Thank you to The Funk Sessions musicians and Cervantes Other Side for supporting taping/sharing shows. Go see live music and tip your bartenders! #spacetapes

LINK: https://archive.org/details/lettuce2019-04-23.AKG.P170.AUD.SBD.Matrix.flac16