Photo by Jeremy Elder
GRAMMY-nominated funk-jazz-soul-hip-hop-psychedelic-jam-experimental titans LETTUCE have unveiled the official music video for lead single “Checker Wrecker” from their seventh studio album Resonate out May 8th via Round Hill Records. PRESS HERE to watch the video and check out the first look on BrooklynVegan. “Checker Wrecker,” inspired by Lettuce’s longstanding passion for Washington D.C. go-go music, the missing link between hip-hop and funk, features DC go-go music legends Big Tony Fisher of Trouble Funk and Tyrone “Jungle Boogie” Williams of Rare Essence. PRESS HERE to stream the song on DSPs.
“We all grew up bumpin late 80s hip-hop and didn’t realize until later that we were listening to samples of go-go bands like Trouble Funk and Rare Essence,” shares drummer Adam Deitch. “To get Big Tony Fisher and Tyrone ‘Jungle Boogie’ Williams in the video is epic for us. They are the originators of the go-go sound and the vibe they bring is electric! This particular show in DC was absolutely wild and the crowd was on fire! We are so happy to have captured this experience in one video!”
Resonate follows Lettuce’s 2019 album Elevate, which earned the band their first collective GRAMMY nomination in the category of Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, racked up more than 3 million streams and hit #1 on both the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums Chart and iTunes Top R&B Albums Chart.
On Resonate, which plays like a master class in funk sub-genres, Lettuce continue to be celebrated boundary-pushing innovators in funk nearly three decades into their acclaimed career, blurring the lines and smashing it up with jazz chords, psychedelic passages, big horns, strains of soul and go-go, hip-hop elements and a joyful, uplifting improvisational sound all their own. Resulting from a wave of creative output after not having been in the studio for four years, Resonate was helmed by esteemed producer and engineer Russ Elevado [D’Angelo, The Roots, Erykah Badu] and written and recorded during the same Colorado Sound Studio sessions for Elevate. PRESS HERE to pre-order Resonate.
Currently in the midst of an extensive European headlining tour, the road warriors will return to the States this spring and summer for headlining shows and festival appearances, including their 5th annual Jazz Fest After Show RAGE!FEST taking place April 25th at the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans with support from The Motet and Louis Cole Big Band. Catch Lettuce at SweetWater 420 Fest, Summer Camp Music Festival, Camp Greensky, Sonic Bloom Festival and High Sierra Music Festival, among others, and look for their summer headlining tour plans to be revealed soon. See below for full list of upcoming tour dates and visit www.lettucefunk.com for ticketing details.
A powerhouse collective made up of world-class master musicians, the members of Lettuce – Adam Deitch (drums, percussion, arrangement), Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff (guitar), Erick “Jesus” Coomes (bass), Ryan Zoidis (alto, baritone, tenor sax, Korg X-911), Eric “Benny” Bloom (trumpet, horns) and Nigel Hall (vocals, Hammond B-3, Rhodes, clavinet, keyboards) – are also some of the most highly sought-after musicians in the industry with resumes that read like a who’s who in hip-hop, pop, and beyond, working and performing with everyone from Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Questlove, Justin Timberlake, The Fugees, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Britney Spears, Gary Clark Jr., Skrillex, Solange, and so many more.
LETTUCE TOUR DATES:
Europe
March 6 Wien, Austria @ WUK
March 7 Frankfurt, Germany @ Nachtleben
March 9 Berlin, Germany @ Frannz-Club
March 10 Hamburg, Germany @ Knust
March 11 København K, Denmark @ Loppen
March 12 Oslo, Norway @ Cosmopolite Scene
March 13 Stockholm, Sweden @ Nalen Klubb
North America
April 10-11 Estes Park, CO @ The Stanley Hotel
April 16-18 Live Oak, FL @ Suwannee Rising
April 19 Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall
April 20 Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall
April 22 Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
April 24 Atlanta, GA @ SweetWater 420 Fest
April 25 New Orleans, LA @ RAGE!FEST at The Orpheum Theater
May 22-24 Chillicothe, IL @ Summer Camp Music Festival
June 4-6 Oak Hill, WV @ Mountain Music Festival
June 4-6 Wellston, MI @ Camp Greensky
June 18-21 Rye, CO @ Sonic Bloom Festival
June 18-21 Bend, OR @ 4 Peaks Music Festival
July 2-5 Quincy, CA @ High Sierra Music Festival
July 24-26 Vineyard Haven, MA @ Martha’s Vineyard