Last night, The New Mastersounds returned to the stage during Suwanee Rising for the first of many upcoming live appearances scheduled throughout the US. 2019 marks the band’s 20 year anniversary of creating music together, and they alluded to some exciting plans to mark the occasion.
First on deck, a 7″ record release–Shake It / Permission to Land–is planned for Friday, May 3rd on the Color Red imprint to coincide with the band’s two-night appearance at the House of Blues New Orleans during Jazz Fest. Pre-order is happening now: color-red.co/product-page/shake-it.
During the late ’90s, soon-to-be NMS guitarist and producer Eddie Roberts was promoting “The Cooker,” a club night he hosted in Leeds, UK, and when the event moved to a new venue in 1999, there was a proper space to present live music to compliment the already offered DJ sets. Roberts tapped previous The Mastersounds collaborator and drummer Simon Allen, and through friends and the intimate nature of the Leeds music scene, Pete Shand and Bob Birch filled out the quartet on bass and Hammond respectively, thus birthing The New Mastersounds to fill the void. Joe Tatton, another veteran of the Leeds scene, joined NMS in 2007, replacing Bob Birch on organ and piano, solidifying today’s lineup.
Though it was raw, and more of a boogaloo sound at first, it was powerful and their first rehearsal encouraged UK imprint, Blow It Hard Records, to release a series of limited-edition 7” singles (“One Note Brown,” “Taurus” and “Fire” feat. James Taylor) in 2000. 19 years later, the band’s recorded catalog boasts 24 additional 7” singles, 13 studio albums (from 2001’s Keb Darge Presents, to last year’s Renewable Energy), 3 live albums, 1 remix record, and 3 compilation albums, released variously in the UK, Japan and the USA, where NMS continues to tour extensively.
As a band, and as individuals, they have collaborated with an impressive array of musicians, DJs and producers, including: Lou Donaldson, Corinne Bailey Rae, Quantic, Carleen Anderson, Keb Darge, Kenny Dope, Mr Scruff, LSK, Lack of Afro, Page McConnell, Grace Potter, Karl Denson, Melvin Sparks, Idris Muhammad, Fred Wesley, Pee-Wee Ellis, Maceo Parker, Bernard Purdie, George Porter Jr, Zigaboo Modeliste, Art Neville, & Ernest Ranglin.
For their 2019 tour dates, vocalist Lamar Williams Jr., son of Allman Brother’s bassist, Lamar Williams, joins the band to bring new music to life on the road and in the studio.
More news for the 20th year to be shared, but for now, catch The New Mastersounds on the road at one of their many upcoming live dates listed below. Tickets and more information is available via the band’s website: newmastersounds.com/tour.
THE NEW MASTERSOUNDS
Tour Dates
4/4 & 4/5 – Live Oak, FL – Suwannee Rising Music Festival
4/6 – Athens, GL – 40 Watt Club
5/3 & 5/4 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
5/7 – Virginia Beach, VA – Elevation 27
5/8 – Baltimore, MD – Union Craft Brewery
5/9 & 5/10 – McKees Rocks, PA – Roxian Theatre
5/1 – Rochester NY – Rochester Lilac Festival
5/12 – Albany, NY – Skyloft
5/15 – Portland, ME – Aura
5/16 – Fairfield, CT – Stage One
5/17 & 5/18 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
6/7 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
6/8 – Central City, CO – Central Jazz
7/4 & 7/5 – Quincy, CA – High Sierra Music Festival
9/20 – Leeds, UK – The Wardrobe
