Festival of Jazz

Live Jazz Sessions @ Ex Cellar Kingston

Presents

A Festival of Jazz

Featuring Pete Roth, Stefan Redtenbacher, Trevor Mires & Stuart Roberts.

31st May from 7pm

Click here for tickets.

Pete Roth – Guitar

‘It’s virtually impossible for any contemporary musician to have emerged in isolation—to have developed a style or technique unaffected by those who have gone before. Guitarist Pete Roth is no exception—the press release name checks John McLaughlin, John Scofield and Jonathan Kreiberg as contributing to the German-born, London-based player’s approach to his chosen instrument. On Circus In The Sky, Roth’s second album, he makes use of these influences—and more—to craft some skilfully written and played tunes’. (Bruce Lindsay).

Pete’s roll call: Ronnie Scott’s, Keeley Smith, Vasilis Xenopoulos, Brian Dee (Miles Davis, Chet Baker)

Stefan Redtenbacher – Bass

Take a Fender Jazz bass, mix Herbie Hancock with the musical heritage of Mozart, season in the conservatoire, add a dash of modern technology and marinade for half a lifetime. Step forward Stefan Redtenbacher, all-round funk wizard and leader of his band, the Redtenbacher’s Funkestra.

“I’m simply a bass player with ideas beyond those twenty frets,” he says. “My world rotates around three pillars – music, education and technology, sometimes in parallel and sometimes in isolation, always with a good dash of entrepreneurship. Most importantly it’s always about creativity.”

Born in Salzburg and educated around the world, it didn’t take long for Stefan to find himself drawn to the sound of James Brown, surely an inevitability since his parents met while dancing to ‘Sex Machine’. The relentless and visceral groove of Bootsy Collins and the JB’s surely drew Stefan into the world of funk, and at 14 he bought his first bass. “I was hooked on low rumbles,” he says. “I saved up my money from a summer job and spent it all on a bass.”

Though most popular musicians are self-taught, Stefan took the formal training route, his natural talent and capacity for study taking him from the Vienna Conservatory to Berklee College of Music in Boston, Chichester University and the Institute of Education in the UK where he assembled his Funkestra, purveyors of a deft line in what their leader, perhaps tongue-in-cheek, terms ‘Strudel Funk’.

But while their leader is rightly proud of his wall-to-wall funk band and his ongoing work as a music creative, his session credits read like the line-up for an eclectic, yet star-studded, festival: Steve Winwood, Sam Moore, Beverly Knight, Natalie Imbruglia, Imelda May, Joss Stone, Lulu, Mica Paris, Herb Alpert, Paul Carrack, Tony Hatch, Kiki Dee, Sandie Shaw, Gerry ‘America’ Beckley, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Limahl, Alexandra Burke, operatic tenor Russell Watson, Sugababe Mutya Buena, Joe, Pete and Sam Brown, Ollie Murs, Sarah Jane Morris, Paul Carrack, The Voice UK winner Blessing Annatoria and, before they left us, master bassist Jack Bruce and tragic soul heroine Amy Winehouse.

As Redtenbacher’s Funkestra, they have recorded with funk royalty such as ‘Pee Wee Ellis’ (James Brown, Van Morrison), Fred Wesley (James Brown, Parliament), Cory Wong (Vulfpeck), Eric Krasno (Lettuce, Nora Jones) and Elliott Randall (Steely Dan) to name but a few. Known for the high standard of musicianship on each album, the band has also utilised the legendary horn sections of Tower of Power, Prince, The Brand New Heavies and Incognito.

Having recently released their 12th album Big Funk Band, Stefan’s Funkestra – now in their 24th year – operates as a small collective of UK-based musicians with an equally impressive pedigree, among them stints with David Bowie, Elton John, Annie Lennox, Mark Ronson, and Herbie Hancock himself. Built around his own compositions and bass playing, the core members Mike Sturgis (drums), Mike Outram (guitar), Dave Limina (keyboards) and Karl Vanden Bossche (percussion) lean heavily on the jazz and funk that inspired Stefan for decades, yet not labouring under their influences.

Stefan’s latest adventure The Masterlink Sessions is a joint venture with studio engineer James Welch and videographer Leo Mansell to create stunning music videos, 100% live in the studio. This has extended to hosting weekly podcasts and the Live At Masterlink live streams.

The project started with the intention to strengthen the community of creative and like-minded musicians who love music with timeless values, played live and for real.

So far, over 80 videos have been produced featuring artists such as Hamish Stuart (AWB, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr), Sarah Jane Morris, US Grammy award winning Mike Farris, Jo Harman, Orphy Robinson MBE, Louise Clare Marshall (Jools Holland) to name but a few, all filmed and recorded with the Funkestra serving as the studio band under the leadership of Stefan who was always inspired by classic studio bands like The Swampers, The Wrecking Crew, The Funkbrothers and Booker T & The MGs.

I just love to be in same room as all the other musicians and artists, playing and creating magical moments together is my happy place.

Trevor Mires:- Trombone

Trevor Mires has been the forefront of the London music for the last ten years. His current work includes his role as Trombonist/arranger for Sir Tom Jones; a member/writer with legendary jazz funk group Incognito for the last 7 years (including 5 albums, numerous world tours and writing/arranging compositions for the band) and touring/recording with former Oasis front man, Noel Gallagher.

He has recently toured with international jazz star Randy Brecker with his Big Band.

His performing credits are wide ranging; he has performed with, amongst others, George Benson, Chaka Khan, Lemar, Beverley Knight, Joss Stone, Gloria Gaynor, Oscar Peterson, Michael Buble, Westlife, Radiohead, Alexander O’Neal.

Trevor was a member of Jamiroquai for a period of 6 months, recording and performing with them. He has also recorded and toured with multi-instrumentalist James Morrison, and he has toured with Sam Rivers Big Band.

Trevor is also a solo trombonist with the Michel Legrend Big Band and has recorded with Pat Metheny, Toots Theilman and David Sanborn.

Stuart Roberts – Drums

His Roll Call includes:

Take That, Kiki Dee, Kerry Ellis and Brian May, Alexandra Burke, Joe McElderry, Lulu among many others.