Brighter Sound presents FUNK: Foundation with saxophone legend Pee Wee Ellis, trumpet player Gary Winters and some of the UK’s most exciting emerging musicians, plus, a headline set from The Pee Wee Ellis Funk Assembly.
Pee Wee Ellis, often credited as ‘The Man Who Invented Funk’, introduced the dynamic arrangements and driving rhythms that would define the emerging language of funk in James Brown’s band in the late 1960’s. He went on to co-write and arrange a series of smashes, including “Cold Sweat” and “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud”, as well as issuing a handful of solo singles on Brown’s label King. Ellis’ 55 year career as a musician, band leader, arranger and composer includes notable partnerships with Van Morrison, George Benson, George Clinton, and Dave Leibman for whose band he wrote “The Chicken”.
For this special show, Pee Wee Ellis and Gary Winters (Fred Wesley, Aretha Franklin, George Clinton), showcase brand new music written in collaboration with 14 of the UK’s most promising funk, jazz and soul musicians during a four-day Brighter Sound residency.
Special guests The Pee Wee Ellis Funk Assembly will perform a second half headline set.
Line-up:
Pee Wee Ellis: Saxophone
Gary Winters: trumpet
Bass: Laurence Cottle
Drums: Andy Tween
Guitar: Jerry Crozier – Cole
Keys : Dan Goldman
The residency is the ninth in Brighter Sound’s Artistic Directors Series, a ground-breaking programme to champion and support emerging musicians, providing time and space for them to test ideas, experiment and develop creatively under the direction of a high-profile, acclaimed international artist.
Photo credit: Heinrich Buttler
