FRED WESLEY ‘FUNKY PRESIDENT CELEBRATION TOUR’ TO LAUNCH U.S.
RELEASES
March 23,
2009
Contact:
Major
Hana Records
Jonathan Block
808-248-7549
majorhana@aol.com
PHILADELPHIA
-- Legendary funk trombonist, arranger, composer and author Fred Wesley – who
James Brown called on for years to take him to the bridge – will launch two new
CD releases with the first U.S. leg of his “Funky President Celebration Tour,”
beginning Friday, April 3, 2009, with two nights at Warmdaddy’s in
Philadelphia.
“The
Funky President Celebration Tour” is named after the Wesley-produced 1974 Brown
hit. It began Jan. 30 – a week after the historic inauguration of President
Barack Obama – at London’s Jazz Café. Since then, Wesley and his band, “The New
JBs,” have moved and grooved packed clubs from Paris to Tel Aviv, mixing jazz
with his classic funk hits with James Brown, the JBs and the Horny Horns, such
as “Pass the Peas,” “Doing it to Death (Funky Good Time)” and “Four Play.”
The
tour’s U.S. premiere coincides with the release by Major Hana Records of “Let
it Flow,” a tribute to the Godfather of Soul featuring special guests including
Bootsy Collins and Chuck D, and a reissue of Wesley’s 1980 album “House Party,”
whose title track is a signature tune and crowd favorite around the world.
Educated
funk music fans know that Wesley, as Brown’s music director from the late ’60's
through the mid ’70's, produced many of Brown's best records, wrote many of his
best songs and horn arrangements, and recorded some of the era’s funkiest hits
as leader of Fred Wesley and the JBs.
Wesley left Brown to join forces with George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Bernie
Worrell and a cast of other characters as the key arranger for Bootsy’s Rubber
Band and Parliament Funkedelic, helping take funk to the next level with
classic hits and albums such as “Stretching Out” and “Mothership Connection.”
Beyond
funk, Wesley also is an accomplished jazzman whose career spans 50 years and
includes a stint with The Count Basie Orchestra. His recordings as a jazz
player and composer include “To Someone,” “Amalgamation,” “New Friends” and
“Full Circle.”
The
entirety of his career, which includes playing with artists ranging from Ike
and Tina Turner to Ray Charles to Usher,
is a treasure trove of stories, some of which fill the pages of his hilarious,
critically acclaimed memoir “Hit Me, Fred: Recollections of a Side Man,” published by
Duke University Press in 2002 and
available on Amazon.com.
The
New JBs, who have been playing together with Wesley for nearly 20 years, are a tight
unit of funk musicians with excellent jazz chops. They are Bruce Cox on drums, Dwayne Dolphin on bass, Peter Madsen on keys, Reggie Ward on guitar, Gary Winters on trumpet and Theodore Arthur on saxophone.
In
addition to touring with his own band, Wesley also shares his wealth of musical
knowledge and experiences through liner notes, articles and interviews, and by
leading music clinics with young musicians in settings including classrooms,
band rooms and recital halls at colleges, universities, high schools, and other
institutions worldwide.
Wesley recently contributed jazz and funk songs to the independent feature
film, "Major Hana," due out later this year. In "Major
Hana," he also steps out as an actor, providing a poignant portrayal of a
London Underground street musician.
April marks a new beginning for increasing U.S. performances by Fred Wesley
& The New JBs, whose touring activity has been concentrated in Europe and
Japan in recent years. Hot off a European run that included stops in
Switzerland, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, the band is bringing its
guaranteed “funky good time” dance party to the Northeast and Midwest in April.
Southeast and West Coast dates will roll out in May, with future dates
scheduled in Colorado, Europe and Australia.
The new record, "Let It Flow - Fred Wesley's Tribute To James Brown,"
will be available in early April at MajorHana.com.
"Let It Flow,” produced by Wesley, features Brown remakes including
the first single, "Out of Sight," as well as "Livin' In
America," "I Got The
Feelin’,'" "Sex Machine," and the title track, featuring the
late, great Bobby Byrd.
In
addition to Bootsy and Chuck D, the album features James Brown drummers Jabo
Starks and Clyde Stubblefield, and members of the New JBs.
Major Hana Records will also re-release Wesley's infamous 1980 album,
"House Party." This album was originally a promo-only item from
Curtom Records back in 1980, although the 12-inch of the title track enjoyed
wide popularity back then. The LP was released in 1993 on the Back Black label.
A fun and funky dance record from beginning to end, the original album is a
collector’s item that also features the crowd favorite “Bop to the Boogie” and
others with Wesley on lead vocals as well as trombone.
"Let
It Flow," "House Party," and Wesley's jazz record, "To
Someone," all will be available in early April on CDs and MP3's at
MajorHana.com.
Fred Wesley & The New JBs
"Funky President Celebration Tour"
April 3 Philadelphia, PA Warmdaddy's
April 4 Philadelphia, PA Warmdaddy's
April 5 Floyd, VA Sun
Music Hall
April 7 Syracuse, NY Wescott
Theater
April 8 Hartford, CT The
Warehouse
April 9 Somerville, MA Johnny
D's
April 10 Portland, ME The
Asylum
April 11 New York City, NY Sullivan
Hall
April 12 Annapolis, MD Rams
Head Tavern
April 14 Kent, OH Kent
State University
April 15 Chicago, IL The
Abbey
April 16 St. Louis Broadway Oyster Bar
April 17 Minneapolis, MN B-Side
Jazz Fest, Trocadero’s
For interviews and media inquiries:
Major Hana Records
Jonathan Block
808-248-7549
majorhana@aol.com
or
Joya Wesley
336-543-7125
joyawesley@aol.com
For booking inquiries in the Eastern and Pacific Time Zones:
Gabe Johnson 541-550-7260
gabe@inthepocketartists.com
For booking inquiries in the Central and Mountain Time Zones:
Hunt Frye
541-306-6429
hunt@inthepocketartists.com
For booking inquiries in Europe:
Benjamin Levy
0033(6)71448680 (Skype:
0870407650)
www.myspace.com/fredwesley www.funkyfredwesley.com www.majorhana.com www.inthepocketartists.com www.blmusicprod.com