Lettuce
The reigning kings of psychedelic funk return to SFJAZZ for their Cook World Tour, celebrating their new album Cook with a four-night summer residency. What began as Berklee teens hitting up Boston venues with the plea "let us play!" has evolved into a modern funk supergroup that sells out major theaters worldwide.
Lettuce delivers thick, mechanical bass lines that anchor their brand of psychedelic funk, blending traditional funk with hip-hop beats, jazz fusion, rock, and soul. Their live shows are known for keeping fans moving and shaking with skittering beats, snaking basslines, and squelching brass, often pushing the two-hour mark with extended solos and infectious on-stage chemistry.
The six-piece features a roster of accomplished collaborators: drummer Adam Deitch, who spent years providing potent grooves on John Scofield's Verve albums Überjam and Up All Night, holds down the rhythm with bassist Erick "Jesus" Coomes, who's toured internationally with Britney Spears and The Game. Saxophonist Ryan Zoidis and trumpeter Eric "Benny" Bloom form a dynamic brass duo, while guitarist Adam "Shmeeans" Smirnoff brings experience as a first-call sideman with Lady Gaga and Robert Randolph. Keyboardist/vocalist Nigel Hall rounds out the sound with silky smooth vocals that provide the perfect complement to their instrumental prowess.
Cook represents a true sensory experience featuring 16 tracks of what they call "rib-sticking funk," including the standout "Keep On" featuring Tower of Power founder Emilio Castillo. The album showcases their evolution from enthusiastic Boston club hoppers to Grammy-nominated artists who've achieved #1 on the Billboard Jazz chart.
Expect an evening where dance-friendly tunes blend everything from golden-era hip-hop to psychedelia to quiet-storm R&B. Their performances feature fearless improvisation and sonic explorations without a net, creating what one reviewer called "intergalactic, inter-generational escapades." While known primarily as instrumental funk masters, Hall's vocals add soulful dimensions to songs that often carry uplifting messages about unity and perseverance.