Leroy BURGESS (Salsoul records NYC) Full Live Band
Leroy Burgess vocals & keys
Olivier Soumali keys
Julien Jussey keys
Nicolas Mondon guitar
Raphael Vallade bass
Nicolas Taite drums
Anthony Gatta congas
Celia Kameni backing vocalist
Cindy Pooch backing vocalist

Motor City Drum Ensemble (MCDE Paris)
Red Greg (Melodies International London)
Darryn Jones (Al-Tone Chicago)
J.A.W Family (J.A.W Berlin)

In collaboration with Carhartt Work In Progress

////

Thankful & thrilled. Those two words sum up pretty good our feelings for this J.A.W proudly co-presented with the mighty Danilo Plessow aka Motor City Drum Ensemble, in collaboration with Carhartt Work In Progress.

A true living legend, there's no other word to describe Leroy Burgess. A multi-instrumentalist, singer, producer, arranger and composer whose impact on the history of dance music, from the birth of house to the founding of boogie & disco, is beyond measure.

Take a random pile of underground disco and boogie vinyls from the late-1970s to mid-1980s, and scan the credits. If you're yet to find the name of Leroy Burgess by the time you reach your fiftieth album, consider yourself the victim of bad fortune. Or pure coincidence. Over that period, Burgess' fingerprints were on so many different productions that even his most meticulous and loyal fans have struggled to keep tabs on all his recording sessions. From his collaboration with Patrick Adams to an incalculable list of disco, funk and soul collectives including Inner Life, Aleems, Dazzle and Universal Robot Band & solo artists such as Eddie Kendricks, Rick James or Fonda Rae, the master still found time to form two new groups of his own Convention & LOGG which eponymous album is considered by many to be one of the best boogie - funk records ever made and a landmark release in the development of proto-house.

Ask producers such as Little Louis Vega, Lary Heard, Theo Parrish, Motor City Drum Ensemble what they think about the man. The latter - MCDE - invited his idol to play his greatest hits backed by a ten-piece band at Nuits Sonores in Lyon, last year. A show for the books according to those who were there. Mr. Burgess is now setting off on the road with the same backing band described by the man himself as among "the finest musicians I've ever had the honor to share a stage with, in 50 years performing".

As it won't be enough, we cooked you up a special line up to join this journey with Mr. Burgess. MCDE himself will pay tribute to his idol alongside Melodie's International and J.A.W Family member - Red Greg - for his come back at J.A.W after his memorable set at Family Reunion last year. Last but not least, we are so glad to have another Family member, the Chicago-based Darryn Jones with us for his Berlin debut. Darryn has been in all mouths for quite some time but rare are those who already witnessed the man live. This is about to change.

................

Supported by Musicboard Berlin GROOVE-Magazin Spex - Magazin für Popkultur Crack Magazine taz. die tageszeitung Digital in Berlin hhv Records ASK HELMUT zitty Berlin Jazz thing