August 12th at the Santa Monica Pier: Soulive and The Breakestra

Tomorrow night The Twilight Dance Series at The Santa Monica Pier will feature Soulive and The Breakestra. As always, the concerts start at 7pm and are free to the public.

Soulive

Not many bands can say they’ve recorded with such diverse artists as Chaka Khan, Dave Matthews, Talib Kweli and John Scofield. Nor can many, if any, bands lay claim to opening for The Rolling Stones on one tour and having Stevie Wonder sit in with them on the next.

The enduring musical relationships Soulive has developed, from the aforementioned artists to Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Joshua Redman, Robert Randolph, Kenny Garrett, The Roots, Fred Wesley, Ivan Neville and so many others, speak volumes about both how versatile and popular these talented musicians are.

Brothers Neal Evans, Hammond B3 organ, and Alan, drums, along with guitarist Eric Krasno have built a body of work known for its grooves and catchy, upbeat tunes while incorporating their brand of jazz, hip-hop, rock, soul, funk, R & B, blues. Soulive signed with legendary jazz label Blue Note Records in 2000. Six years later, Soulive would be the first band signed to the new Stax Records, home to the soul tradition built by Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers and Sam and Dave. Ever forward looking, Soulive has launched Royal Family Records, giving them full artistic control over their own recordings and making it possible for Soulive to discover and develop emerging artists and talent. Dig this: they have just released a brand new studio recording of Beatles covers, entitled “Rubber Soulive!”

Breakestra

Break: As in “breakbeat.” That ten second slice of percussive magic in the middle of a funk song that, when looped together by progressive South Bronx DJs in the 1970s, became the basis of the hip-hop movement. Arkestra: Out-there jazzer Sun Ra’s funkafied concept of the stuffy classical orchestra. Flip the script and you wind up with a unique definition of the Los Angeles based ensemble known as The Breakestra.

Formed by Dr. Miles Tackett, “Musicman,” in 1996, they began as the house band for the legendary club called the Breaks. The band is rooted in deep funk, soul, jazz fever and musical friendships. A Breakestra show is about dancing and swinging, musicians on stage getting loose and playing serious grooves. Breakestra has a way of invigorating breakbeats, paving the way for the funkily naïve to embrace the rhythmic revolution that James Brown kicked off more than thirty years ago!

We ask you: “What are the first three letters of FUNK?”