The New Mastersounds are a world-class, world renowned, instrumental funk band with 7 years of live performing, 5 full-length album releases and 21 seven-inch single releases under their belt. NMS are Eddie Roberts (guitar & tambourine), Pete Shand (bass), Simon Allen (drums), and Bob Birch (Hammond). All four of them met in Leeds, UK, and, as a BBC reviewer says, "NMS may produce some confusion: how can a collection of (mostly) pasty-faced Northerners produce with such authority the dusty funk grooves of the early 70s? It doesn't matter - they just do."
In the late 1990's, guitarist and producer Eddie Roberts was running a club night in Leeds called "The Cooker." When The Cooker moved into a new venue with a second floor in 1999, there was space and the opportunity to put a live band together to complement the DJ sets. Roberts and Allen had played together in 1997 as The Mastersounds, though with a different bassist and no organ. Through friends and the intimate nature of the Leeds music scene, Shand and Birch were added on bass and Hammond respectively, and The New Mastersounds were born. Though it was raw and more of a boogaloo sound at first, it was powerful from the start. Their first rehearsal was hot enough for Blow it Hard Records to release it as an EP in 2000.As a band, and as individuals, they have since clocked up collaborations with an impressive array of musicians DJs and producers, including: Lou Donaldson (Blue Note), Corinne Bailey Rae (EMI), Quantic (Tru Thoughts), Carleen Anderson, Keb Darge & Kenny Dope (Kay Dee Records), John Arnold (Ubiquity), Mr Scruff (Ninja Tune), Snowboy (Ubiquity), Fred Everything (2020vision), Andy Smith (Portishead), Norman Jay MBE, James Taylor (JTQ), Adrian Gibson (Freestyle), LSK (Faithless), The Greyboy Allstars and Karl Denson.
The band has toured all over the USA and Japan and, closer to home, in France and Spain. In August 2006 they finished recording their fifth album, 102%, which was released in January 2007.As an example of the respect this band commands, Peter Wermelinger - DJ, collector, and author of the crate-diggers’ bible ‘The Funky & Groovy Music Lexicon’ - places the 2001 NMS track ‘Turn This Thing Around’ in his all-time top-ten tunes, along with the likes of Eddie Harris, Funkadelic, and Herbie Hancock.The New Mastersounds are at the very top of an elite selection of acts that bring the true soul out of funk. Keb Darge Presents... (Deep Funk Records, 2001; reissued Cooker Records, 2003)
After many years of spearheading the UK's live funk scene and packing out the best clubs everywhere from London to Mexico City, The New Mastersounds captured the pure energy and excitement of their live show onto this, their debut album release. Dropped by the likes of DJ Shadow, Pete Rock, Cut Chemist, Kenny Dope, Spinna, Keb Darge, Gilles Peterson, Snowboy, Adrian Gibson, and crossing over into the dance scene with their Masters At Work-inspired track 'Nervous' and an inspired arrangement of the theme from James Bond, the interest generated on release of this album was huge. Originally released on Keb Darge's classic Deep Funk label in 2001, it quickly sold out to funk aficionados everywhere.
- Nervous
- Drop It Down
- G.T. (new version)
- Turn This Thing Around
- Miracles
- Python
- Hot Dog
- Stay on the Groove
- So Many Pies
- Coffee Providers
- The Rooster
- Bondo Sama
- One Note Brown (new version)
- It's Alright Now
Be Yourself (One Note Records, 2003)
The New Mastersounds return with another funk album of classic proportions. Be Yourself sounds like it was recorded live, with its no-messing; let-the-music-speak-for-itself production (as it would?ve been in the 70s). The tunes have a refreshing quality that don't tend to focus on one theme throughout, covering a multitude of tempos and styles including jazz, funk and soul. Whether it be the crisp, rolling drums or the intricate guitar work, and not forgetting the Booker-T style Hammond organ, it's extremely difficult to pin-point a standout instrument or musician. With that in mind one has to conclude that it's ALL GOOD. It surely won't be long before they're seen up there with the likes of Grant Green and the Meters.
- This Ain’t Work
- Your Love is Mine (feat. Corinne Bailey Rae)
- Can’t Hold Me Down
- Be Yourself
- Better Off Dead
- You’ve Had it All
- Barça
- Six Underground
- Coming Up Roses
- Coming down
- R.T.A.
- Do What You Gotta Do
- Idle Time (feat. LSK)
- This Ain’t Work pt2
http://anonym.to/?http://rapidshare.com/files/79896480/nmasbour.rarPW : eightfiresmusica.blogspot.com
download link found on : eightfiresmusica.blogspot.com
This Is What We Do (One Note Records, 2005)
Needless to say, the album is a full on funk monster, with the hammond taking a greater role in the proceedings. NO VOCALS, just awesome instrumentals. Stand out tracks, for me, are the latin-tinged 'Tin Drum', the speed-funk 'Ain't No Telling' (Bob is outstanding on this track!) and 'Pure'. Who's the Elvis fan? MARVELLOUS!
- Zambezi
- All I Want (Right Now)
- The Tin Drum (feat. Sam Bell)
- You Got it All
- Land of Nod
- Ain’t No Telling
- The Minx
- Afternoon at Gigi’s
- Pure (feat. Sam Bell)
- La Cova
- Baby Bouncer
- The Vandenburg Suite
Live at La Cova (One Note Records, 2006)
The fourth album. Recorded live at La Cova Den Xoroi, a spectacular cliffside club on the island of Menorca, Spain. Featuring Sam Bell on percussion. A mix of NMS originals and covers of funk and boogaloo classics (including Grant Green's Jan Jan, the Meter's Funky Miracle, and Rusty Bryant's Fire Eater).
- Miracles
- Duffin' 'Round
- You Got it All
- 3 on the B
- Funky Miracle
- Land of Nod
- The Tin Drum
- La Cova
- The Minx
- Spooky
- Fire Eater
- Jan Jan
- One Note Brown
If anyone has a copy of this album please contact me.
102% (One Note Records, 2007)
It won't take long -- maybe ten seconds into the first cut -- to know that the Meters are a primary influence on the U.K.'s New Mastersounds. The opening title track is such a ringer for "Cissy Strut" that you may check your CD sleeve to see if the discs weren't accidentally swapped. As the album unwinds, though, the all-instrumental quartet reveals more of its own identity: a sort of acid jazz mixed with crisp early-'70s funk grabbed from New Orleans' finest. Certainly drummer Simon Allen has been practicing to his Zigaboo Modeliste records, and it's his attack that principally drives the sound. The interplay between organ and Eddie Roberts' guitar carries the melody, but this band's motor is powered by its formidable rhythm section. Despite the Meters fixation, the New Mastersounds marry a somewhat retro approach with a contemporary spin that makes this fusion perfect for Austin Powers lovers. There is no denying that these guys bring the Southern funk, but the mix of their Brit jazz sensibilities and chops fine-tuned for maximum danceability spins the music in a unique direction. There's also more than a little Booker T. & the MG's here, especially in guitarist Roberts' sparse, choppy leads that echo those of Steve Cropper. What's most impressive, though, is how the band locks together. No member hogs the spotlight as these 14 tightly arranged zingers, most of them hovering just over three minutes, trim off the fatty jam tendencies that often sink similar combos by concentrating on compressed licks that kick out of the speakers with terse precision. The group shifts into pseudo psychedelics on the closing "Paranoid (Is It Any Wonder?)" as Roberts approximates a Cream-era Clapton-styled distortion that doesn't entirely resonate but at least shows a willingness to experiment and push boundaries. A few stabs at a lounge style also come up rather short, but the snappy funk is never more than a track away. Guest reedman Rob Lavers adds some old Crusaders-type horn work on a few songs, assisting a band that's already as in the pocket as they come.
- 102%
- Witness
- Carrot Juice
- Thirty Three
- Colorado Sun (Jesse's Backyard)
- Give Me a Minute (pt2)
- Rope-a-Dope
- Hey Fela!
- Bus Stop no. 5
- Return to Gijón
- Forgiveness
- Talk is Cheap
- L.A. Root Down (dub side of the pier)
- Paranoid (is it any wonder?)
Re:Mixed (Record Kicks, 2007)
Record Kicks label asked a bunch of talented contemporary funk, nu jazz and broken soul remixers to work on NMS's "raw" deep funk sound. The result is NMS RE::MIXED an absolutely essential compilation full of irresistible nu funk, soul, broken, headz future classics. Since everybody loves NMS it was easy to welcome so many great producers on one record. From Gilles Peterson jazz award winner Nostalgia 77 together with fabulous Corinne Bailey Rae to "king" Kenny Dope. From Lack Of Afro (Freestyle Records) to Tru Thoughs bandito Dielser here together with sensational Laura Vane. Not to mention Lanu aka Lance Ferguson from the The Bamboos, Ju Ju Orchestra aka the grooviest band in the international club jazz, mighty Smoove from Acid Jazz Records, from Holland nu afrobeat phenomenon AIFF (Unique Records), Dj Farrapo, Montreal's Afrokats Records crew - and many more.
- Idle time (Lack Of Afro remix)
- Drop it down (B remix)
- Hey Fela! (Diesler feat. Laura Vane)
- One Note Brown (Lanu remix)
- Thirty Three (Ju Ju Orchestra remix)
- The Tin Drum (Dj Farrapo remix)
- Witness (Smoove remix)
- Your Love is Mine feat. Corinne Bailey Rae (Nostalgia 77 remix)
- Nervous (Kenny Dope remix)
- Thirty Three (Valique remix)
- Return to Gijon (AIFF remix)
- Bus Stop No.5 (Afrokats Crew remix)
