Soul Cycle

Hey everyone!! I’m just coming down off of the high of last night’s show at Groove. We had a wonderful audience and the energy in the room was electric. Our featured artist was Rogiérs, and he blew everyone away with his soulful vocals and jazzy runs. In addition, I was so happy to welcome Louis Cato to the group on bass (fresh off a European Tour with Idle Warship), as Josh had a previous engagement with A Tribe Called Quest. Everyone on stage was really listening to each other and I think we all were excited to create some brand new music together!

I’ve always wanted to perform Al Green’s “Simply Beautiful” and last night was the perfect opportunity; the warm weather had everyone feeling peaceful, and Rogiérs channeled Al Green’s intensity and spirit like I’d never seen. This is Grown Folks’ Music - don’t open at work!

Check us out vibing on D’Angelo’s “Chicken Grease” later in the same set:

Here’s another song I’ve always wanted to play: Isaac Hayes‘ “Bumpy’s Lament”, from the Shaft soundtrack. You probably know it from Erykah Badu’s “Bag Lady” and Dr. Dre’s “Xxplosive”, but here’s our version of the original (it’s a slow burner!):

And finally, my original composition “Sun Stream”, which will be featured on the new record. James takes a blazing solo! Check it out:

Last night was a special night; I felt blessed as always to share the stage with such talented and creative musicians, and just as importantly, to share the room with such enthusiastic fans! I can’t wait for our next performance. Stay tuned, Soul Cycle listeners……….

We had a great time at Groove last Friday! The band was killing and the audience was on fire. They say that a live band requires a live audience, so I send a special thank you to all those in attendance; your energy made it all possible! Shout out to my Aunt Bette who came from out of town to see us. Saunders Sermons (from Jay-Z’s band) came and blessed us on vocals and trombone, performing one of my favorite Duke Ellington songs, “In a Sentimental Mood“:

Saunders just released his debut album, Classic Delight. Check him out on iTunes!

We also got to play the wonderful Kenny Garrett composition, “Sing a Song of Song“. I love how simple the melody is and how haunting the harmony is. James takes a beautiful solo and if you watch to the very end, you see Corey bring the house down on drums:

Finally, we put a different stank on our fan favorite, “Empty Pockets“. The live remix is called “Fat Pockets”! Check it out:

Thanks again to all our fans. We’re so grateful for your energy and support!!

Peace,

Jesse

Just got back from Atlanta, GA! What a wonderful experience. It was my first time taking the band on a trip this far from home, and also the first time we played the same club two nights in a row. Since the travel budget for this outing was very small, Corey, Josh and I decided to drive from NYC to ATL — rock-band road-trip style! I was happy because we got to listen to lots of great music (Bob, Jimi, Herbie, Kenny, Meshell, etc), watch the country go by, and have some solid, in-depth conversations.

I had no idea what to expect, but the shows at Churchill Grounds ended up being huge successes! The audiences were warm, attentive, and enthusiastic, and we even sold out both sets the second night. Corey’s sister Misha Fair joined us on vocals for a couple covers and two originals — she killed it, and the whole band sounded ridiculous! Here’s a clip of Corey’s tune “Porcelain Funk” (with burnin’ solos from Brian on alto and Corey on drums):

(Watch more video here.)

What did I like most about Atlanta?

• Lots of Chevy Caprices, many on huge rims
• Hilarious Chick-fil-A billboards (including “Eat Chikin or I Press the Button”!)
• 53 million Waffle Houses
• People actually make eye contact and say hi on the street (!!)

All in all, an amazing trip. We are grateful to all our existing and new fans, and we can’t wait to come back again!