The New Mastersounds – February 5th – Barkley Ballroom

Estimated read time 3 min read

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The Scene: Summit County has become a high desert of live music since the closing of Three20south in Breckenridge in May 2014 and now Barkley Ballroom in Frisco is  filling that void in a very positive way. The ceiling is low, the music is loud, and the atmosphere is ripe with sweat and energy.  The New Mastersounds made a stop at the Barkley on their winter tour providing for a fantastically funky Thursday night that brought a near sell-out crowd to the Frisco underground.  Emerging out of Leeds in the late 1990’s, The New Mastersounds have proved themselves to be true purveyors of Soul and Funk. Extensive touring in the US and across the world have pushed the Mastersounds to the forefront of the scene. The crowd on the dance floor meant business as both acts helped us boogie down until early morning.

Openers: The Heard. Future Chicago funk legends The Heard opened the show with a high-octane set of horn-tinged Jazz and Soul. The layout in Barkley Ballroom provides for an intimate relationship with the artists and the intense horn melodies coming from Lucas Ellman (saxophone), Parris Fleming (trumpet), and Bryant Smith (trombone) sparked fire in my soul. Its always fun to see a young act touring with legends in a small room in a small, snow-covered town and The Heard were up to the task; eliciting an electric reaction from the crowd.

The New Mastersounds: We snatched a front row spot as Eddie Roberts, Simon Allen, Pete Shand and Joe Tatton took the stage and tore into buttery versions of “Hole in the Bag” and “Old Man Noises.” I soon found myself staring endlessly at Eddie’s fingers on his Gibson 330; effortlessly delivering the distinctive rhythmic style that defines the classically funky side of the group. The New Mastersounds have a deep catalogue under their belts and this usually leads to long and diverse sets of music.  Several tracks from 2014’s Therapy focused on the jazzier side of NMS before the band broke into sharp renditions of “102%” and “You Mess Me Up.” The party was elevated with a nice sit in from opener and newfound friends, The Heard. There was also a superbly awesome ode to James Brown with “Get On The Good Foot.”  “Freckles” and “Hey Fela” rounded out the show in a showcase of bass from Pete Shand’s alien-esque fingers.

With classic British sensibilities and stylish personality, The New Mastersounds are the quintessential leaders of the modern Funk revival and they do it with flair. You can catch them when they return to Colorado May 8th and 9th at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver.

Energy:  A
Musicianship: A
Sound:  B-
Stage Presence: B+
Lights: A

Overall: A-

Jon Cass

I’ve worked various positions in the music industry with Madison House, Rock The Earth and Bohemian Nights. My dream is to travel the world and seek out all the good tunes, beer and food that make life so special. I have a healthy obsession with live music and I’m thrilled to share the epic moments with you.

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