Marc & the Casuals:
San Francisco soul big band Marc & The Casuals features keyboardist Marc Capelle who has performed with American Music Club, Vetiver, Rodriguez, Tommy Guerrero,The Fresh And Onlys, as well as sitting in on trumpet with Grandaddy, John Doe, and The Plastic Ono Band. The remainder of this 21st century wrecking crew is filled out by Todd Roper (Chuck Prophet, Cake); bassist Peter Straus and the group’s lead guitar and vocalist Bart Davenport. Filling out the group is guitar god Greg Loiacano of The Mother Hips along with horns Carroll Ashby, Danny Cao, Amber Lamprecht, Tom Griesser and singers Karina Denike, Meryl Press, Adrianne DeLanda, Virgil Shaw, & Bob Reed, Jason Morgan and love boat go-go toaster Phil Crumar!
Papa's Culture:
Papa's Culture, but ... (Elektra) 1993
Somewhere between a greased-gears Steely Dan and a pleasantly sedated They Might Be Giants, this ingenious Northern California duo — a bassist/composer raised on Count Basie and a post-punk folkie/toaster guitarist with a wry funnybone — belies its members' roots to create warm, jazzy, reggaefied funk-pop laced with charmingly odd lyrics. Laying down infectious rhythms reminiscent of the early Beat, and playful soul stylings that would do Sly Stone proud, Harley White (bass, music) and Blake Davis (guitar, vocals, words) make memorable songs like "Swim," "It's Me" and the Zappa-esque "Muffin Man" effortlessly enjoyable while describing a world of their own fantastic imagination. The album can barely contain the band's hyper-invention: tracks burble over with adroitly applied instrumental variety (horns, strings, reeds, harmonica, sitar), samples (Charles Mingus and Carl Reiner) and lyrics that mingle Jacques Cousteau, Brian Wilson, mom, grandpa, Bob Marley and Black Uhuru without ever getting bogged down in topicality or random referencing. Still, the relaxed grooves and sophisticated studio craft move it along with smooth ease.
DJ DELON:
DJ Delon (born Alain Grissette) has been spinning off-the-grid lo-fi breaks, nujazz, drum&bass and all things soul, in finer clubs, bars and restaurants throughout the Bay Area since the late ‘90s, in addition to his role as Music Director at Jupiter in Berkeley and the new hotspot Drakes Dealership in Oakland. You can catch him at his monthly regular, Laszlo Bar in the Mission every 2nd Saturday, or you can stream or dl a top-notch mix from his page at http://www.mixcrate.com/djdelon