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| The Mission Players, Stymie & the Pimp Jones Luv Orchestra San Francisco's The Mission Players have established themselves as one of the best live acts around. Their infectious grooves melodically, harmonically and rhythmically blend soul, funk, jazz and blues. "The Mission Players slap on some fresh treads and nice rims and cover ground like champs" Dennis Cook, Jambase.com, Cook's Corner. Grown out of jam sessions in San Francisco's Mission District, Mission Players found their core group in early 2001, consisting of: Mike Mulqueen (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Greg Garvey (Bass), Jason Movrich (Guitar/Vocals), Erik Mekkelson (Sax) and Jesse Hiller (Drums). The band's songs reflect the deep-rooted music of 70s soul and funk and are heavily flavored with influences from Stevie Wonder, James Brown and The Meters. "Our ultimate goal is to produce a high energy live show that makes people need to shake their feet on the dance floor" Mike Mulqueen. 2004 saw The Mission Players release their first full length album entitled, "Live & Livin' It" (SFG Records), recorded live at Elbo Room in San Francisco. The year also saw live dates spread all throughout the state of California and beyond. 2005 found Mission Players touring the ski slopes of Colorado and live dates throughout Southern California and the rest of the state. The band's highly anticipated CD, "Get Back Soul" was released in 2007. The tracks are super fresh, ultra funky and blend some amazing Soul, Funk and Blues music. The band also completed tour dates throughout Colorado with additional tour dates in Lake Tahoe and throughout Northern California. In 2011, The Mission Players celebrated their 10-year anniversary. Currently, the band is working on a new CD, due out in 2012, along with an extended tour of the west as well as some very special surprises. The band has recently shared co-bills with the likes of: Papa Mali, On the One, Irvin Mayfield Quintet, Fareed Haque Group, Robert Walter and members of Galactic. " the "soul-funk-groove" quintet, whose high-energy live shows have been known to get even beer-clutching wallflowers out on the floor cutting a rug " Bill Picture, San Francisco Chronicle, Pop Beat. THE MISSION PLAYERS are: Mike Mulqueen (Guitar/Lead Vocals) Greg Garvey (Bass) Jason Movrich (Guitar/Vocals) Erik Mekkelson (Tenor Saxophone) Jesse Hiller (Drums) Stymie & the Pimp Jones Luv Orchestra It ain't easy being stankalicious. This is especially true if you are an independent entity. But the funk is proving to be more relevant in the 21st century than ever before. Case in point: the recent revival and revitalization of Stymie and the Pimp Jones Love Orchestra, a San Francisco-based, multi-piece outfit lead by singer/songwriter Sean "Stymie" Sharp. Stymie is an animated individual. When he speaks about anything, from music to comics to movies, he speaks with an intense and jovial vigor that is as learned as it is inspired. His tiny apartment is littered with ol' school accoutrements, from VHS tapes to boomboxes, but the beauty of modern media trends does not elude him whatsoever. "With file sharing and Youtube, " says Stymie, "you are in more control of what you listen to." Thus, you can seek out what you like instead of being nudged into it or spoon-fed something more formulaic. On this point, Stymie argues, "It is true that not all things are for all people. But this does not mean that you shouldn't give people the fans the benefit of the doubt." The man is speaking about categories and genres, abstract concoctions that lead people to "wearing uniforms. Like I got my punk rocker uniform and he's got his gangster uniform and so on." And sure, if you're gonna call Stymie and the PJLO anything, the man doesn't completely object to being tagged as a leader of a funk band, as he explains: "Funk is the least limited genre. 'Funk gets stronger' to quote George Clinton but we don't want to limit things at all." In other words, Stymie does not want to "categorize the fan base, " as he is also inclined to dip his creative pen into avenues such as ska, R&B, rock, reggae, and even go-go. This musical diversity was a bit harder to realize way back in the 20th century, when massive corporations still dictated listening trends and indies had less resources for getting heard. But now? The game is on. The band has come a long way and has accomplished a lot of things to get to the pinnacle thatit is at today. The current incarnation, a combo of veteran soldiers and funky-fresh blood, has Stymie tickled stink. "This version of the band is carving out its own identity with these newsongs." Indeed, he has been writing new ditties at an astonishing rate, "inspired by the blessing of these talented people." The current, exuberant and extra-tight line-up includes drummer Jon Merker, Brian Hill on guitar, bassist Martin Ledyard, Jerry Goldstone on guitar, Brigham Hausman on trombone, Keith Waldorf on trumpet, Emery Dora on keyboard, Tupac Mauricio Saavedra on saxophone, as well as vocalists Jospeh "Mojo" Powell, Erica Chriss Patten, Marilee Bazzano. The new material, with such titles as "Brand New Mustard Machine, " "La Toure A Go-Go, "and "Love in Space, " will debut in late 2010 (though a song or two might leak out on the web before that!) And in an effort to whet the appetites of longtime and potential fans alike, the band has uploaded high-quality performance footage of classic Stymie and the PJLO material on Youtube, tunes that can be heard on previous releases such as Dem Sum Goodies and The Secret Hits of the Black and Blue Parade. Stymie, who grew up in Hollywood off of Sunset, started the band in San Francisco in 1996. The first lineup featured Joe "Mojo" Powell, a soulful harmonizer who still sings with the band today, and Marilee Bazzano soon followed. As for the band name, Stymie thought it up while walking down Haight Street, and the name, like his songs, are meant to remind the audience that there ain't nothin' but overflowin' imagination around here. The band soon proved itself to be incredible live, and while it has enjoyed the honor of opening gigs for the likes of Earth, Wind, & Fire, Fred Wesley, and Billy Preston over the years, Stymie and thePJLO has been packing 'em in with its own sold-out headlining shows for over a decade now. This is why it is imperative for YOU to come see the man and his crew in a theatre near you. at Red Devil Lounge 1695 Polk Street San Francisco, United States write your comments about the article :: © 2012 Jazz News :: home page |